Sunday 11 May 2008

Plunging rating

What should you do when confidence is being lost, when people are starting not to believe you? Gordon has this problem, and for him it is hard to see a way out. He looks inept after the would-he wouldn't-he election, the climbdown on 10p, and so on. And he hasn't closed down the obvious vulnerabilities: ID cards, 42 day detention, the war.

At times like this it is important to be clear what you stand for, what people can expect, and what they can't. Trying to be all things to everyone is a recipe for disaster. So is failing to understand why people are upset. Stand back, admit to what you think are mistakes and apologise for them, present a clear vision for the future, be clear on where you think the ethical lines are, and wait.

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1 Comments:

Blogger Cognitive Overload said...

Confidence and clarity sells. But confidence and clarity without feedback quickly becomes arrogance. Blair had a clear vision on the Iraq war and presented his own ethical lines: was he right to do this without remembering that politicians are, or should be, primarily representatives?

12:54 pm  

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