Every organization faces tough choices about which projects or products to take on. Doug Burkott’s talk breaks down a clear way to navigate these decisions, by recognizing and balancing the four enemies of governance: 1. Bureaucracy: layers of process that slow progress and stifle innovation. 2. Anarchy: lack of structure that leads to chaos, confusion, and wasted effort. 3. Mediocrity: settling for average work that drains potential and fails to inspire. 4. Toxicity: harmful cultures or behaviors that erode trust and drive talent away. Doug shares how organizations can find the right balance by: 1. Building just enough structure to guide decisions without choking creativity. 2. Encouraging ownership and accountability to avoid chaos. 3. Raising standards to push past “good enough.” 4. Fostering a healthy, supportive culture that strengthens teams. This talk offers leaders a practical framework to make smarter choices, drive meaningful projects forward, and protect their organizations from these common pitfalls. Doug Burkott is a healthcare IT expert with experience in Healthcare Systems Architecture, Strategy & Planning, Technology Business Management. He has a proven track record of leading cross-functional teams to achieve strategic objectives. Doug is passionate about driving innovation and fostering collaborative environments to deliver exceptional results. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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