Crisis management, mentoring and a sad case study

The Israeli government is revamping its mentoring programme. As one of the referees from the Ministry of Industry said to me last week: “Where we need to improve is in our planning and management skills”.

No doubt about that. The question is if the Israeli public sector capable of following the advice it offers to others?

Tomorrow morning, Tuesday 4th October, 730 specialist doctors located in hospitals around the country are about to quit. Yup – simply walk out of their jobs. Now, before you scream “How could they? What about the oath, etc”, I caution you. These are not lazy or greedy people.

One of them was interviewed on television last night. When he downs tools, it will be after completing yet another 24 hour plus shift.

Typically, these are people in the 30s and 40s. They are fully qualified, and have often taken on extra army service along the way. Their average basic wage is around 29 shekel per hour (almost US$8). By comparison, my teenage kids earn around 24 shekels waitering in part time jobs. 

The whole country knows the situation. Medical unions have been demanding changes for years. My father was unexpectedly hospitalised earlier this year – it was hours before he was seen by a doc in the ward.

So let’s assume I was appointed mentor to the Prime Minister, with a specific emphasis on health issues. What questions would I ask?

• Why have you failed to appoint a full Minister of Health, but only a deputy minister? Are coalition affairs more important than the lives of 7.8 million citizens?
• Why is this deputy minister rarely seen in public or in newspaper interviews? What is he hiding?
• With all your advisers and your own experience, why have you let this situation develop? What could you be doing better?
• Are you not able to see how desperate are hundreds of medical experts that they are prepared to abandon a system for which they have trained years to enter and to better?
• And if you cannot negotiate with doctors, who are the core of the middle class and a positive influence on society, what does it say about your ability to “deal” with Israel’s enemies? 

Meanwhile, as the two sides play out the final hours of bluff in the national media and in courts of arbitration, the Israeli government continues to boast of managing a falling budget deficit. Great, but….,

And here is my final question, can good fiscal policy simply be measured in financial stats? Is not the Prime Minister responsible for the lives of his country?

Reduced “weight of government”

The phrase, the “weight of government” often conjures up negative connotations – something along the lines of “what stupid thing are they going to force on me now”.

I assume the idiom comes from a time when there were so many people in government, sitting round doing nothing and getting fat. In Israel, there are currently 30 ministers of government, 25% of the whole Parliament. Clearly, the public budget has mushroomed in order to accommodate all of these people, their assistants, offices and other heavy baggage.

Israelis are used to seeing TV pictures of the opening of cabinet debates, where the table is full of sweet-tasting goodies. But suddenly, several months back, Prime Minister Netanyahu instituted a policy that has won the support of all factions and all religions. Fattening, unhealthy delicacies will no longer be provided. Ministers have been asked to join keep fit programmes. Cut up veggies are now the main part of the noshing menu.

If I was to paraphrase from a popular American TV reality programme, if the Israeli executive wants to change people’s lives, it has started to set an example with their own behaviour,

Netanyahu is reported to have lost 5 kg; the minister for tourism – 6kg; Yisrael Katz at the Transport Ministry – 30 kg; Barak and Lieberman, defence and foreign affairs – 6kg and 15kg. The finance minister plays basketball once a week.

Just adding up these figures alone comes to the average weight of an adult female. In other words, in terms of fat, the Israeli government is literally shrinking away. Now there’s a thought for the country’s enemies.