Banksy, Spray Paint, and Strategy: Rethinking Governance
How street art teaches us that the right structures can spark, not stifle, creativity.
I stayed on the East End during my recent trip to London and explored Shoreditch and the Brick Lane area to take in the street art. I saw some Banksy's and art by other famous graffiti artists (Thierry Noir, Blek le Rat, Mason Newman), but I was struck by the incredible work by artists whose names we'll never know.
East London's street art has its roots in London's late 70s and 80s punk and hip-hop scenes, and was a form of self-expression and rebellion against heavy-handed government policies. As name tagging evolved into more intricate and sophisticated street art, it also became a more accepted form of art. Today, Shoreditch and the Brick Lane area are incredible canvasses for one-of-a-kind artwork.
From Rebellion to Structure
Rebellion and self-expression come naturally to humans. Even the most stringent rule-makers become rule-breakers when they can rationalize it. Street artists, though outsiders, also operate within boundaries—territory, style, and eventually sanctioned spaces.
It’s not so different in IT and PMO governance. Rules without flexibility lead to rebellion. But when governance balances structure with freedom, it creates an environment where creativity thrives within safe limits.
Governance That Enables Safety and Innovation
One of the best illustrations of positive IT governance comes from the modern business fable "The Phoenix Project" by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford. Told through the eyes of an overwhelmed IT manager thrust into a failing turnaround project, the book shows how the right structures and cultural shifts can transform chaos into a foundation for both stability and innovation.
The lesson is clear: governance should not be about bureaucracy or control for its own sake. It’s about creating the conditions where people can work safely, within requirements, and still have the freedom to innovate and achieve. As the authors explain: “For a company to change its way of working, its culture must change, not just its processes.”
Lessons from The Phoenix Project
At the heart of the book are the Three Ways—principles that mirror the best of PMO and IT governance when done well:
Fast Flow of Work – Make work visible, reduce bottlenecks, and ensure smooth delivery.
Feedback Loops – Build quick, multidirectional feedback so errors are caught early.
Continual Learning & Improvement – Encourage a culture of experimentation and evolution.
Together, these principles illustrate how stability enables innovation. As one summary of the book notes: “A stable, well-managed IT infrastructure provides the foundation for rapid experimentation and innovation.”
So what does this mean for PMO and IT leaders? It means governance isn’t a set of chains—it’s a set of guardrails. The point isn’t to slow teams down but to give them the confidence to move faster, knowing they’re safe.
Bringing It Full Circle
Just like the walls of Shoreditch, our organizations are living canvases. With the right balance of structure and freedom, we can create environments where people don’t just comply—they create, they innovate, and they leave behind work that inspires.