During the Christmas break, I was listening to some music and heard U2’s “The Troubles”: “You think it’s easier to put your finger on the trouble, when the trouble is you (…). Well, it’s the hardest thing.” I’ve realized for years how true that is for me, but I also know that this level of difficulty applies to most boardrooms. Now that there’s a new Cabinet, at the start of this year of transitions, that makes for a nice New Year’s wish.

I’m always impressed by people who stick their necks out for us. A new Cabinet—I’ve rarely seen such a thankless job in a glass house. “You know you’re going to make mistakes; you just don’t know which one they’ll use to trip you up”; a quote from an insider about the relationship between the Cabinet and Parliament. On top of that, more than 13 million people not only have the first and last word (if they bother to vote), but the constant cacophony from some of them turns the political system into a populist platform.

Convicted Before the Start

The nearly impossible task facing the newly appointed Cabinet is already evident from the reactions even before it has taken office. People are falling over themselves to comment on issues such as the gender balance, the number of ministers with specific portfolios, the balance between those with and without political experience, the leadership style for female ministers, and the relevance of billion-dollar injections. Social media is also overflowing with what I call “first aid for victimhood.” For people who look for causes primarily outside themselves, finding scapegoats and complaining about the system of which they are a part is the easiest path.

But there are also many complainers among politicians. Their tweets are rarely (self-)reflective; they’re more about seeking attention. It won’t be long before politicians start using Snapchat or opening a TikTok channel, “because that’s another way we can bridge the gap with our voters.” Moreover, the dynamic between the Cabinet and Parliament isn’t exactly a model of harmony. To the public, what they see on their screens is mostly political squabbling.

Beyond Populism

I believe that populist politics and disgruntled citizens reinforce each other. For a breakthrough in this situation, this new beginning now hinges on the Cabinet and Parliament demonstrating a greater capacity for self-correction. The quality of the dialogue between “governance” and “oversight” is key. Improving the integrity of cooperation within the Cabinet—and with the House of Representatives—is essential for building trust.

This isn’t something you can accomplish with a weekend-long team-building retreat, even though that’s where it all starts, of course. It’s about developing a culture of continuous reflection on decision-making and oversight. That’s really very difficult—as the U2 song also points out. Perhaps we can learn something from the business world and public organizations. There, driven by governance codes, periodic evaluation of behavior and actions is a regular agenda item. There is also increasingly often a CTO (Chief Transformation Officer) who, among other things, monitors the conditions for safe, integrated management of the transitions and evaluates the approach (both “hard” and “soft”).

I wish the Cabinet and Parliament would clean up their own act. That would build trust and make the “public gallery” a lot quieter. On the other hand, let the new team do its job. Instead of complaining online, listen to music a little more often. “One” by U2, for example.

U2, The Troubles: https://spoti.fi/3K5m3Rd

U2, “One”: https://spoti.fi/3HSasTE