Sunday, March 20, 2005

There is no place for business in politics There is an article in today's (3/20/2005) edition of the Salt Lake Tribune, which attempts to analyze Governor Huntsman's management style. It appears that he is trying to treat state government as he would one of his businesses. While I agree with some of his approaches (dismissing entrenched department heads etc.), I fear that ultimately it is an approach that is doomed to fail, as the public sector does not play by the same rules that the private sector does. Phil Windley attempted to introduce proven private sector methodologies into the IT departments of the state, and all it got him was a long walk on a very short plank. The major issue at work here is that there are a large number of people in government who possess "institutionalized power". This power is derived from the fact that they have been in their positions for years prior to the entrance of any newly appointed leader, and they know that they will be in their positions for years after the leader's departure. They have learned that if they drag their heals long enough, they can out live their new boss(es), and go back to the status quo once they are gone. 2:08:40 PM    comment []

© Copyright 2005 Q. Wade Billings. Last update: 4/19/05; 2:38:03 PM.