海角大神

Paul K makes a great point about the why the skills of business folks might not map onto those needed for government policy: it鈥檚 not an obvious fit.聽 But I鈥檇 go further.

We used to hear this complaint all the time when I was working for the administration鈥斺�渢hey don鈥檛 have a business person running the NEC or Commerce, or something; therefore they don鈥檛 know what we need; therefore we don鈥檛 like them.鈥�

So I asked a prominent business person鈥搘ho was formerly a聽prominent gov鈥檛 official鈥揳bout this and his response both cracked me up and had a ring of truth.聽 Here鈥檚 what he essentially told me:

鈥淲hat these whiners don鈥檛 understand is that if I or someone like me鈥攕omeone from the business world鈥攚ere in there right now, we鈥檇 be telling these business guys to get lost.聽 You can鈥檛 make them happy and it鈥檚 no use trying.聽 The irony is you鈥檙e already doing more for them than I鈥檇 advise and true to form, they don鈥檛 like you any better for it.鈥�

Now, this guy was a democrat, and his view may not cross party lines.聽 But it鈥檚 an interesting wrinkle.聽 Maybe you need a business person who has the perspective and clout to tell you when to ignore business people.