As President Joe Biden considers his potential Cabinet picks for a second term or former President Donald Trump mulls over a comeback, consultant Loren Smith has provided guidance on how incoming secretaries can succeed in their roles. His advice is based on interviews with executives who have worked under presidents dating back to Reagan’s time. Above all, loyal commitment, as much toward shared goals and policies instead of an individual President’s liking for loyalty purposes, should be a priority for political appointees. Additionally, Smith recommends hiring top-tier teams with thorough processes that encourage input from relevant offices within the department to ensure efficient decision making. The process must also promote orderly disagreement management and escalation among office and agency leaders while continuously examining day-to-day procedures in a changing environment.
Smith’s list of guiding principles for Cabinet secretaries includes personnel as policy, where loyalty toward shared vision is crucial to avoid undermining the mission by individuals who may be devoted but not competent enough or loyal yet lack talent. The footrace for top-tier talents should also take place at the outset of a new administration since there will only be limited high caliber people available and willing to serve in any presidential administration, requiring swift staffing up and development of core teams while competing vigorously with other agencies seeking similar personnel.
Effective communication is vital for cabinet secretaries as their words carry weight beyond the department’s employees or industries they regulate/provide grantmaking services to since they represent the whole U.S government on topics covered by that agency, requiring careful word choices and tone selection in all communications made from their office. Additionally, a well-functioning scheduling team is necessary for managing time constraints as cabinet secretaries’ schedules become public while ensuring working relationships with career staff members to achieve policy priorities.
Working closely with the bureaucracy by relying on expertise where it serves achieving Presidential policies and having effective lawyers loyal to such agendas also aids successful outcomes in an organization consisting of thousands or even hundreds of thousand employees, requiring political leadership that always has the mindset for figuring out how best to work through/with career staff members to achieve presidential policy objectives. Lastly, secretaries must monitor stakeholder contacts and maintain a political radar while building farm teams with special assistants, senior advisors being constantly brought aboard trained up as deputy assistant secretaries administrators and later possibly take charge in upcoming terms; besides also identifying village elders who can offer mentoring functions for such personnel.
Smith’s advice aligns well with influential groups like the Heritage Foundation regarding cabinet picks, but he adds two special nuggets: building farm teams of advisers to cycle through while keeping some “village elders” around as a guiding function. Finally, Smith suggests that incoming secretaries should never shy away from asking questions about seemingly small matters because they could lead into more significant management challenges down the road.
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