#76 re-election

Sometimes I feel like I am missing out on things because I am currently not living in a big city, but today President and Mrs. Obama came to our little town!  They would have been welcome almost any place in the world, but they chose Dubuque, Iowa for a visit.  

I was fortunate enough to obtain a ticket, so played hooky from work to see the Obamas in person.  People from both parties commented on how efficient the operation was run.  No lines for security.  Clearly marked venue.  And most surprising to me, the President's bus arrived at 12:24 for a 12:25 scheduled speech.  I was out of my office only two hours and yet was able to hear THE President and the First Lady each speak only 200 feet from where I was standing.  It was thrilling!

Of course, much of the President's message centered around his bid for re-election.  I will leave the political aspect out of it, but it got me thinking about our whole process for filling the position.  Imagine if a university, company or any large organization had a mandated turnover of their top leader every four years.  Yet here is one of the most complex, sensitive and far-reaching organizations on the planet and just such a thing happens.  The President spends a year (at least) learning the job, a year or so doing the job, and then the next year trying to get re-elected to another term.  It is amazing to me that we are still functioning at all with that amount of transition in the top spot.  And in most cases, there isn't a tumultuous impact on the average citizen's life with a change in governmental leadership--offices still function, services still operate, national parks still open and the social security checks still are delivered.  Would our organizations fare so well?

Think about if you had to "campaign" to keep your job next year.  Would you be re-elected?  Do you have the evidence that you have done what you promised to do in the interview?  Is it even a realistic expectation that you could have solved the big problems in a mere three years?  I fear that a frequent re-affirmation of employment would have organizational leaders focusing on short-term results instead of tackling the long-term or strategic elements that can really have significant consequences.  

There is a line by fictional President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) in the film The American President where he says "I was so busy trying to keep my job that I forgot to do my job."  If you have the privilege of re-appointment without re-campaigning, take advantage of the ability to think long-term and make your work matter.

-- beth triplett
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