Romney: Consultant-in-Chief
By Tom Shoop | Tuesday, November 20, 2007 | 09:27 AM
By Tom Shoop | Tuesday, November 20, 2007 | 09:27 AM
Thanks to Chris Dorobek of Federal Computer Week for linking to this Wall Street Journal piece I missed on Mitt Romney's management style. Romney was a consultant for 10 years, and it's pretty clear he'd bring that perspective to bear in running the executive branch.
Here's the key section of the article:
When asked for details about how he would reduce the size of government if elected, he mentions two things: The organizational chart of the executive branch, and consultants. "There's no corporation in America that would have a CEO, no COO, just a CEO, with 30 direct reports."Running a government organized like this is, he explains, impossible. "So I would probably have super-cabinet secretaries, or at least some structure that McKinsey would guide me to put in place." He seems to catch a note of surprise in his audience, but he presses on: "I'm not kidding, I probably would bring in McKinsey. . . . I would consult with the best and the brightest minds, whether it's McKinsey, Bain, BCG or Jack Welch."
Dorobek also notes that after the Journal piece appeared, TIME columnist Michael Kinsley took some potshots at Romney, consultants and the whole concept of trying to introduce businesslike efficiency into government. "The notion that the cacophony of politics can be replaced with the smooth hum of expertise and that all the challenges our society faces can be solved by making the government run more efficiently has a long and generally laughable history," Kinsley wrote -- and a bipartisan one, too.
Comments
I agree with Ted. Have never seen a consultant who did great work, and it seems none are held accountable.
Sounds like Romney wants to add another layer to the Executive Branch. We don't need that. We need fewer political appointees and more accountability all the way down the line.
Charleen | Wednesday, November 21, 2007 | 10:49 AMIf some of the comments were based on a little more info about Romney they'd be saying different things. Romney did things different than others--all others. Do you think a guy who averaged 113% return each and every year of his 14 years at Bain Capital is doing what other consultants did/do?
You're right and I agreehe couldn't have. When he was checking out the request to do the SLC Olympics his consultan buddies said the best thing to do was walk away from the deal--it was horrenously bad.
Today, Harvard Bus MBA uses Romney's book "Turnaround" and other facts related to Romney's success as their ciriculum. His techniques are now ap-plied in private equity frims and Venture firms. He is a legend in that sector of the business world. Liberal Comentator of Mad Money James Cramer (MSMBC) referred to Romney as the best business man in North America when discussing him with Chris Matthews!
When you do your homework about Romney you'll simply realize what kind of rare person we have here. Someone like this comes around MAYBE once in a lifetime. This guy is a winner's winner!
JonH | Tuesday, November 20, 2007 | 02:39 PMI can't wait to see what the next president does to solve Executive Branch management problems! Cut the contractor workforce (Clinton), cut the Federal workforce (McCain), and Romney hiring consultants to "borrow our watch, tell us what time it is, and charging the client (taxpayer) for what is already known." Here we go, again...
Veteran | Tuesday, November 20, 2007 | 12:48 PMMr. Romney has exposed a vast empty void where knowledge of managing bureaucracy is supposed to be.
US | Tuesday, November 20, 2007 | 11:17 AMConsultants are a large part of the reason for the mess we're in. Consultant firms do not look for simple or inexpensive fixes for problems, they look for profits. Consultant firms are usually overseen by government employees who do not have the authority to rein them in, so excesses, abuses and inefficiency go unchecked. Consultants like IT and systemic solutions because they often lack real world front-line experience with the human problems that government faces. Consultants often mask simple, common sense concepts with consultant-speak, which field personnel see as so much bovine batter and disregard. Government needs to be better organized, but big consulting firms are not the best source of solutions.
Ted Bean | Tuesday, November 20, 2007 | 11:08 AMUm...McKinsey already works for the government. So does every other consulting firm. Romney's a bonehead.
Consultant | Tuesday, November 20, 2007 | 10:07 AMABOUT THIS BLOG
Government Executive Editor Tom Shoop takes a look at news and events affecting the federal bureaucracy, from the perspective of a longtime observer of government.
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