The art of making executive decisions - Roses And Thorns

Making executive decisions is an art and in the words of Chester I. Bernard, it "consists of in not deciding questions that are not now pertinent, in not deciding prematurely, in not making decisions that cannot be made effective, and in not making decisions others should make."

Undoubtedly, the very first wrong decision that President Estrada made was his announcement that the remains of Dictator Marcos were going to be buried in the Libingan ng Mga Bayani. When he announced it, he even said that "nothing could make him change his mind." But when he saw the hostile public reaction, he withdrew from his stand and made it appear that it was Imelda Marcos' decision to have the body buried in Batac. It was not an urgent matter nor was it pertinent at the time so it violated the first rule in executive decision-making.

In the case of the Charter change, again, President Estrada had to shelve his Constitutional Correction for Development. He was humble enough to say, "As a leader, I must listen." That was a case of deciding prematurely. Sometimes, President Estrada appoints a group to do something when there is an existing government body to do exactly the same thing. Only recently, President Estrada said that he is transferring the Securities and Exchange Commission from the President's office back to the Finance Department where it belongs.

Never in our history has a president so many advisers, consultants and assistants. Now, President Estrada has ordered this so-called one-peso-a-year men to destroy all their business cards and stationery. A personal adviser does not hold official office. President Estrada has to go one step further. He has to furnish the nation with the complete names of these advisers.

The good thing is that the President was big enough to own his mistakes. The truth is that we often learn by trial and error and we also more often learn more from our mistakes than from our successes. Errors are the discipline through which we move forward. The right decisions help the people; wrong decisions not only harm the people but slow down or deter the nation's progress.

President Estrada said that it is hard to get good men into public service because the pay is low and public officials are often the subject of unfair attacks. It is true that private offices pay more than government offices, but that is not the reason why decent men are refusing to serve in the government. The truth is that government positions no longer give any prestige. On the contrary, the moment one accepts a government post, he is automatically assumed to be corrupt and on the take. The government has become the ultimate symbol of graft and corruption. A major reason for this is the lifestyle that the majority of prominent government officials have adapted -- fabulous mansions and wine, women and song. During President Diosdado Macapagal's time, it was leadership by example. All government officials lead simple lives.