Promising promises but...
By Andleeb Abbas
Published in DAWN: 22-04-08
‘DÉJÀ VU’, ‘seen it all’, ‘nothing new’, are the typical comments swirling around in the cynic’s corridors on hearing the prime minister’s ‘100-day plan’.These comments are justified given the historic tradition of every single government making loud claims of not repeating past mistakes, of being different from the previous government, of being transparent, simple and frugal, and yet falling prey to the many, many political, economic and societal forces which somehow always end up in the familiar political refuge of ‘compromise’.
The government must realise that the public is in an unforgiving mood and will not overlook any default on promises made. To create true differentiation from earlier political offerings this government must genuinely put the voters first and fulfill their expectations in every major area of concern.Here are some words of wisdom for our new managers in command with regard to delivering on their promises. The government should actually make a list of commandments for the ministers in charge, which ensures that the mistakes made by the previous government are not repeated:Thou shall do what you say and say what you do: A cut in the budget on the prime minister’s spending is a commendable lead-by-example gesture. However, to make it meaningful, it is important that a complete and detailed explanation of what the expenditures of the ex-prime minister were should be made public. This, in turn, should then be compared with the present cut in expenditures so that the public knows where all this reduction will take place.Similarly, the announcement that vehicles up to 1600cc are allowable for government officials is a bit difficult to implement considering that the most prevalent engine size is either 1300cc or 1800cc. Also, repealing the FCR or abolishing NAB is not possible without the president’s consent. A reality check on what one says is necessary.Thou shall not indulge in nepotism and cronyism: The major qualification of most people appointed to important posts in government has traditionally been their being friends with, or fans of, the men in power. Whether it was the appointment of the prime minister, or the head of the ISI, or the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board, as long as one was a Mush buddy he or she was fit for the job. Beware of this trend. This has been the nemesis of many a leader.Already the hurried appointment of Mr Rehman Malik as prime ministerial adviser on interior affairs, and Mr Hussain Haqqani as adviser has made people wary of more to follow. If the top man sets this example of appointing a couple of his own buddies, each of the 20-odd ministers will follow suit and oblige their cronies.Consequently, you have almost 40 people in major posts but whose qualification and experience have nothing to do with the job required. Thus a fertile ground is created for the incompetent and irrelevant to mess up an economy desperately needing top class expertise to save itself from doom.Thou shall keep public priorities above personal priorities: The first two priorities of the government must be to restore peace and prosperity to the people of this nation. That means devising a proactive strategy to trace the root cause of terrorism, developing strategies to prevent and deal with terrorist acts and ensuring that all agencies involved in investigating and dealing with terrorism are held accountable for their actions.Similarly, the provision of basic amenities to the public has to be pursued with missionary zeal. Provision of water, food and electricity at affordable rates requires creative coordination, unprecedented cooperation at all levels, whereby the best brains representing the differing socio-economic viewpoints of all provinces devise some short-, medium- and long-term strategies to deal with the emergency situation confronting the public.Thou shall develop a culture of performance, not personality: Politics brings limelight and position power. To these, egoistic politicians become addicted. Most politicians come in with the intention of making a change and fulfilling the expectation of the public, but find it difficult to wean themselves away from the media and power control which is part and parcel of these high-flying positions.Thus the desire to look good, hear good and assume good overtakes their desire to actually do good and deliver good. The obsessive desire to have their word as the last word makes them resent opposition and rely on people who are never going to show them the wrong side of their actions, thereby blinding them to their own follies.The country is in such dire straits that if the government does not put in place measurable targets of performance for each ministry and does not hold them accountable for it, it is going to end up with an economy in shambles, a media in hot pursuit, and a public in revolt. It is, therefore, mandatory for their survival that they treat the country as a company which is on the verge of bankruptcy, and has been granted a grace period by its stakeholders to become viable again, or else suffer the ignominy of being wiped out.Conclusion: The traditional way of managing this country has been through leadership by excuses. This is a convenient way of not taking responsibility for failure to deliver and laying the blame on tough socio-economic conditions inherited from one’s predecessors. However, as we know, leadership comes into play not when it is smooth-sailing, but when the tide is against one and when storms are derailing any effort to move towards the destination.Instead of harping on what the earlier government did or did not do, the current lot should concentrate on what they can do and prove it. No amount of explanations, justifications and recrimination will pacify a nation sick of being fed on denials and deceit.All these cries of inheriting an economy with huge problems are thus also an opportunity for this rather rare collection of leaders of various parties to show their mettle and character by not compromising on their promises, by not violating principles and by not giving in to the demands of their fair weather friends.The need of the hour is display a leadership based on trust, transparency and a tenacious resolve to make and keep promises, to plan and deliver results, to make choices based on principles and values and to infuse a spirit of motivation and pride in this nation. These are not only moral and intellectual imperatives but absolute survival essentials.
The writer is CEO of Franklin Covey.The government must realise that the public is in an unforgiving mood and will not overlook any default on promises made. To create true differentiation from earlier political offerings this government must genuinely put the voters first and fulfill their expectations in every major area of concern.Here are some words of wisdom for our new managers in command with regard to delivering on their promises. The government should actually make a list of commandments for the ministers in charge, which ensures that the mistakes made by the previous government are not repeated:Thou shall do what you say and say what you do: A cut in the budget on the prime minister’s spending is a commendable lead-by-example gesture. However, to make it meaningful, it is important that a complete and detailed explanation of what the expenditures of the ex-prime minister were should be made public. This, in turn, should then be compared with the present cut in expenditures so that the public knows where all this reduction will take place.Similarly, the announcement that vehicles up to 1600cc are allowable for government officials is a bit difficult to implement considering that the most prevalent engine size is either 1300cc or 1800cc. Also, repealing the FCR or abolishing NAB is not possible without the president’s consent. A reality check on what one says is necessary.Thou shall not indulge in nepotism and cronyism: The major qualification of most people appointed to important posts in government has traditionally been their being friends with, or fans of, the men in power. Whether it was the appointment of the prime minister, or the head of the ISI, or the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board, as long as one was a Mush buddy he or she was fit for the job. Beware of this trend. This has been the nemesis of many a leader.Already the hurried appointment of Mr Rehman Malik as prime ministerial adviser on interior affairs, and Mr Hussain Haqqani as adviser has made people wary of more to follow. If the top man sets this example of appointing a couple of his own buddies, each of the 20-odd ministers will follow suit and oblige their cronies.Consequently, you have almost 40 people in major posts but whose qualification and experience have nothing to do with the job required. Thus a fertile ground is created for the incompetent and irrelevant to mess up an economy desperately needing top class expertise to save itself from doom.Thou shall keep public priorities above personal priorities: The first two priorities of the government must be to restore peace and prosperity to the people of this nation. That means devising a proactive strategy to trace the root cause of terrorism, developing strategies to prevent and deal with terrorist acts and ensuring that all agencies involved in investigating and dealing with terrorism are held accountable for their actions.Similarly, the provision of basic amenities to the public has to be pursued with missionary zeal. Provision of water, food and electricity at affordable rates requires creative coordination, unprecedented cooperation at all levels, whereby the best brains representing the differing socio-economic viewpoints of all provinces devise some short-, medium- and long-term strategies to deal with the emergency situation confronting the public.Thou shall develop a culture of performance, not personality: Politics brings limelight and position power. To these, egoistic politicians become addicted. Most politicians come in with the intention of making a change and fulfilling the expectation of the public, but find it difficult to wean themselves away from the media and power control which is part and parcel of these high-flying positions.Thus the desire to look good, hear good and assume good overtakes their desire to actually do good and deliver good. The obsessive desire to have their word as the last word makes them resent opposition and rely on people who are never going to show them the wrong side of their actions, thereby blinding them to their own follies.The country is in such dire straits that if the government does not put in place measurable targets of performance for each ministry and does not hold them accountable for it, it is going to end up with an economy in shambles, a media in hot pursuit, and a public in revolt. It is, therefore, mandatory for their survival that they treat the country as a company which is on the verge of bankruptcy, and has been granted a grace period by its stakeholders to become viable again, or else suffer the ignominy of being wiped out.Conclusion: The traditional way of managing this country has been through leadership by excuses. This is a convenient way of not taking responsibility for failure to deliver and laying the blame on tough socio-economic conditions inherited from one’s predecessors. However, as we know, leadership comes into play not when it is smooth-sailing, but when the tide is against one and when storms are derailing any effort to move towards the destination.Instead of harping on what the earlier government did or did not do, the current lot should concentrate on what they can do and prove it. No amount of explanations, justifications and recrimination will pacify a nation sick of being fed on denials and deceit.All these cries of inheriting an economy with huge problems are thus also an opportunity for this rather rare collection of leaders of various parties to show their mettle and character by not compromising on their promises, by not violating principles and by not giving in to the demands of their fair weather friends.The need of the hour is display a leadership based on trust, transparency and a tenacious resolve to make and keep promises, to plan and deliver results, to make choices based on principles and values and to infuse a spirit of motivation and pride in this nation. These are not only moral and intellectual imperatives but absolute survival essentials.
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