Global Mindset for a better future

By Dr Jayshan Keejoo

International Arbitrator , International Corporate Change Manager and Global Mindset Trainer

Need for future mindset of Ministers

The politics of a country has a profound impact on its levels of development and he encouraged me to undertake further research on the politics of development within the complex scenario of developing nations. One does not need to have an MBA to run a successful business, but it does no harm. Politics is about getting into power and then carrying out successful activities to help you stay in power.

In today’s world, politicians must prepare themselves to assume a remarkable task, to face the global, social, political, and economic development challenges of the 21st Century . Are they prepared, in terms of education and experience, to undertake the ministerial responsibilities and to deliver the services expected form them? Do they have proper qualifications or training to run a government office successfully? Should they need institutional learning before assuming such positions? Or should they depend on on-the-job training to improve ministerial performance with the nation’s majority interest at stake?

Ministerial training is an integral part of good governance. Politicians need to change the traditional mindset of governance by extending their attitudes towards cooperation for good causes, considering public opinion and respecting the inner characteristics of the public and its culture.

Why do politicians often prove to be such incompetent managers? We expect politicians to tell us what they will do when they come to office and once they are elected we expect them to fulfill those promises. And, as often happens, when these politicians fail to keep their promises we throw them out. These failures nourish the belief that politicians are all dishonest and they never have any intention of keeping their word. Yet even the most honorable politicians, who have every intention of keeping their promises, have to implement their policies.

Many ministers in governments across the world are seen as doing little more than simply fulfilling their duties via ticking boxes once having been elected. In many cases voters receive only empty promises. Most individuals who put themselves forward for these life-changing ministerial positions are ill prepared to take up such postings and to carry out the changes required for the good of their nation.

Notable global ministers who have done well in the past often have good personal value systems and focused vision. These individuals usually have a strong self-belief mindset, which involves a sense of compassion, rapport, duty of care, accountability, knowledge, skills, oratorical presence and resoluteness. They ensure that red tape is kept to a minimum and that they are able to deal with risk management and also to lead.

The change that new ministers experience is immediate, one that is occasionally unexpected or for which they are unprepared, and it requires a radical transformation in their workload, responsibilities and in the nature of their interaction with others.

 “Ministers must tackle a range of issues, often brutal in their complexity. They know that, whatever they do, some groups in the country will be unhappy with the result. They know there is no single answer. Indeed, often it is hard to get agreement on what the issue actually is.” Alongside with the daily routines of managing their political duties and personal lives, it requires “ways of managing time, information, access and expertise, if ministers are to have any chance of meeting those diverse expectations.”

As such ministerial training encompasses two broad aspects— firstly the issues and knowledge necessary for overseeing the sector-specific responsibilities of a minister’s department and, secondly, the skills required to successfully lead and manage a government department.

If I ever describe the process of becoming a minister— moving from one ministerial job to another— to somebody in almost any other job outside they think it is, frankly, pretty dysfunctional in the way that it works. That’s not just this government… I think we should have been better trained. I think there should be more induction. There’s more now than when I started as a minister but it’s still not enough. I think there should be more emphasis given to supporting ministers more generally in terms of developing the skills needed to lead big departments.

Furthermore, the intention of training is not to build successful ministers per se—this is a much larger task that involves a multitude of concerns regarding selection, pre-appointment preparation, a long-term programme of skills development, and continued monitoring and performance review.By the end of two years you are beginning to understand what you are doing. The aim of training is to get ministers up to speed to a satisfactory level. This may sound at first glance a limited goal, but it is one that in many countries around the world governments and the civil service are failing to meet. The proposition is clearly to give ministers the tools, support and knowledge they need to enable a smooth transition to departmental duties and to enable them to carry out the programmes they wish to implement.

The question is, what can and should be done to assist newly appointed ministers to cope and perform at their highest level. Given the hectic schedules of ministers— who have to juggle ministerial, political, constituency and personal responsibilities— what set of procedures will support and not further encumber ministers in effectively pursuing their agendas, which have an incalculable impact on the lives of millions of people. One of the barriers to instituting formal introductory training procedures is the natural reluctance that comes from unfamiliarity with new ideas, despite such processes being universally instituted across the senior echelons of the corporate management world. However, putting in place a set of systemised training processes will enable this to quickly become a routine and welcomed aspect of ministerial accession. Secondly, the universal implementation of it will reduce egotistical reluctance from individuals.

Many of the skills necessary to becoming a successful minister are the same for those in other professions—sound judgement, people and communication skills, leadership and team working aptitudes, managerial capabilities, time management and so forth. The task of ministerial training is to provide specific support : introducing a new minister to the tasks, scenarios and structures of the ministerial workplace, and providing instruction in sector-specific knowledge relevant to the department. It is apparent that a far more encompassing and strategically designed process is required, beyond the poorly thought-out and ad-hoc support that exists and varies from country-to-country and government department-to-department globally, which can contribute an element of certainty and grounding to an often chaotic and extemporized set of circumstances. Training encompasses areas such as strategy, policy and delivery. It reflects an acknowledgement that political leadership and government is an art with which one, given natural abilities, can be trained and equipped to carry out.

There are courses for almost every occupation, but there is no course that teaches you how to be a member of parliament, and there’s no course that teaches you how to be a minister. It’s assumed that if you are elected, you can be an effective minister. Ministers are political appointments and should remain so.

An essential and proven aspect in ministerial success is displaying confidence in the direction of policy, even if at the outset this may yet remain unformulated. Managing a government department can often appear not too dissimilar to the experience of sailing a small boat through a large ocean storm. Some unforeseen , waves roll over the bows, the boat is battered from all directions and there appears nobody from the outside able and present to extricate one from the situation. Tossed and turned, it takes strength of character and an ability to see beyond the present storms, to keep attention focused on the destination ahead. The minister knows all too well that failure to navigate these choppy waters and to effectively handle subordinates under one’s charge will result in him or her being forced unceremoniously to walk the plank.

 A successful approach to ministerial duties involves defining objectives, thereby setting out a clear plan ahead that can remain visible when the fog of politics falls, characterized by competing interests and short-term pressures. Preparing ministers for the importance of defining clear goals, and enabling a forward vision of the likely paths of policies, strategies and circumstances, will better steel them for negotiating the difficult waters that lie ahead— whether in terms of managing the minutiae or in dealing with unfavorable events.

Increased media assertiveness and access further adds to the necessity for tighter rules of ministerial conduct. Every word is scrutinised , every meeting is questioned, every silence is pondered. It is unrealistic to expect new ministers—surrounded by a whirlwind of new pressures, colleagues and concerns— to further be able to master all these tasks. Training will enable a measure of independence in judgement, acquisition of key skills and knowledge, and the critical self-assurance that comes from the initial provision of support. The admissions of many ex-ministers reveal their desire to be supported in their new task— to demystify their role and responsibilities and to gain a measure of understanding that will place them in good stead when confronted by the countless faces seeking their time, answers and direction.

Ministers oversee large organisations and work within a hierarchical framework of policy implementation that extends far beyond the civil service itself to other parliamentary bodies. Issues such as time management and communications strategy are two of the critical areas here in which training is able to lay down clear guidelines to ease the day-to-day burdens on a government minister. These also offer clear examples of the long-term benefits that can accrue from short-term and simple, but effective strategic training and support.

Government ministers are responsible for vast budgets and coordinating national legislation affecting business interests, citizens and the economic and social well being of the nation. As well as the imperative to determine the general direction of policy, ministers are required to oversee and to comprehend the complexity of minutiae that, in highly specialised and professional environments. Ministers are required to assess existing strategies , evaluate methods of managing partnerships with political and other relevant bodies, set in place an effective communications strategy to publicly answer questions on policy matters, determine the direction of government policy and its priorities, rapidly initiate long-term research towards these aims and prepare strategies for turning policy into legislation. Some of these complex responsibilities may lie further down the line, however missteps in the critical early phase can derail longer-term strategies, and so it requires ministers to be on the ball from the start  in relation both to action or discussion. Yet, ministers are often elevated to positions and departments for which they have little past experience or affinity, and lack an in-depth knowledge that will enable them to plot the correct steps ahead. This requires an understanding of the history of prior interventions, efforts, successes and failures. Ministers also benefit from an independent knowledge that will enable an accurate assessment of advice and contributions from interested parties. While some of this can be delegated to civil servants, there remains the need for ministers to take strong decisions and take responsibility for them. The number of political advisors has increased rapidly in many countries.

For most ministers assuming office, this is the first time they have had the opportunity to manage large departments with multiple outcome responsibilities. Many have come from small entrepreneurial backgrounds or worked their way up the rungs as career politicians. However, the position of minister encompasses roles and responsibilities that they are unlikely to have combined previously: that of political advocate, parliamentarian, departmental manager, public face and communicator of an organisation, theoretician, problem-solver, diplomat and lawyers etc.

Political leaders across the world have built up a reputation for breaking promises and lying to their local constituents and the international public. If this is to be corrected, it can only be achieved through greater education and training of ministers, providing a greater understanding of their roles, responsibilities,

It is envisaged that in the developing world a comprehensive approach should be taken to enable ministers to reach a minimum standard of competency, knowledge, skill and awareness necessary as the first step to efficiently taking on ministerial responsibilities. This training must be immediate but flexible.

Training requires guidance and guidelines, which help provide an operational framework to enable ministers to channel their enthusiasm. The looser the framework, the greater the possibility that ministers and ministries will stray into areas that could be viewed as ethically suspect. Ministerial Codes are not there to be paid lip service to, but are a constant reminder of the responsibilities of high office. When we examine such a code we soon become aware of just how challenging living by such a code is. The Seven Principles of Public Life-

 • Selflessness— Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, their family or their friends.

• Integrity— Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties.

 • Objectivity —In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit.

• Accountability— Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.

 • Openness —Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands.

 • Honesty —Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.

 • Leadership— Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

Legislative Leaders increasingly recognize that the demands of the role they have embarked on means that they feel ill equipped and daunted by what lies before them. The tightrope walker at least mentally and physically prepares for the dangers he or she might face, but it is not until they are confronted with them that they are fully tested. A quotation variously attributed to two first ladies of the United States of America (Eleanor Roosevelt and Nancy Reagan) illustrates the point: A woman is like a tea bag, you cannot tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water— the same could equally be said of a government minister.