It sucks to have a reputation problem. But when you take over an organization that has mismanaged $1B of public money.
Ontario Auditor General Jim McCarter released a scathing report in the fall that found the agency had mismanaged $1 billion of taxpayers’ money, with little oversight. CBC News
It probably helps explain why I”m so distrusting even when hearing the new leader make noise around doing the things to better help the citizens.
“The sooner we can have a crisper definition of what’s in this for the patient … the sooner the public who’s paying for all of this will see the value of it” – eHealth Ontario, CEO Greg Reed
This seems like a pretty clear question that should have been asked before starting this Billion Dollar eHealth Debacle. The lack of transparency, the lack of accountability, the lack of a measure of success. I find it challenging regardless of the pedigree of the new CEO (former Dundee Bank of Canada chief and long-time McKinsey & Co. consultant) that he will be able to deliver. We need to stand up and demand better from our politicians and those that lead our publicly funded institutions.
When it comes to government agencies and activities it’s the appearance of impropriety that matters most. We as citizens should demand the best for our dollars. One of the cornerstones of open government is transparency (and accountability). We need individuals that dream big, that are willing to report on their actions, and be accountable for the deliverables. Process is important, it is no substitute for results. Meritocracies are not without their criticism, but when looking at the effectiveness of an individual or an organization’s ability to deliver.
Until we can decide on what is merit we’re left to suffer the traditional *cracies that run rampant:
- wealth (plutocracy),
- origin (aristocracy),
- family connections (nepotism),
- property (oligarchy),
- friendship (cronyism),
- seniority (gerontocracy),
- popularity (democracy)
We have seen crap keynote speakers, crap politicians, crap companies, crap performance all continue to use their social position and political power to manipulate the system in their personal favour. And as messed up as a meritocracy might be, it focuses on results – improving the lives of citizens, of customers, of the world – provided that we can define objective measures of success
“When I’m in Canada, I feel this is what the world should be like” – Jane Fonda
Reputation and trust matters. So does the ability to critically evaluate the merit of the companies that you purchase your goods from, the speakers at the conferences you attend, the truthliness of your newscasters or comedians. Be critical of the people. Be critical of their stories. Be critical about their point of view. Ask questions about their motives, motivations and desired outcomes.
The lack of critical thinking might help explain the inability to define success in Canada. Step back and ask questions.