President Donald Trump – 100 not out with just one ‘Six’ in the form of Confirmation of 113th Justice of the Supreme Court, Neil M Gorsuch; a ‘boundary’ in the nature of a retaliatory attack on Syria – signaling that chemical warfare has to be nipped in the bud itself; and the rest coming from ‘singles’ mostly.

Rather than evaluating the performance of President in his first 100 days in terms of specific accomplishments; quantification of actions completed; or measures of his popularity percentage; – an analysis and brief description in terms of the ” EFFORT” taken to move from Day 1 to Day 100 in the face of challenges will be quite in order. We don’t get butter directly from the cow; it needs “Effort” to transform milk into butter.

President Donald Trump won a difficult election making the Republican Party proud in the first place. He had the major promises of – (a) Repealing Obamacare (fresh proposal introduced; not enough support to pass; modification for the record effected and is being processed – a ‘setback’) ; (b) Working towards a sustainable immigration policy (proposal placed; appellate court stay; modified for the record and placed again; a single judge stay witnessed – a’ setback’; (c) Negotiating deals for the betterment of Americans and the nation (China’s support to contain North Korea’s nuclear ambitions; Nafta negotiation with Mexico and Canada to begin; – ‘Fair’ performance) ; (d) An economically strong America (stock markets touched a new high with only last week recording the first fall – ‘Good’ performance) ; and (e) a big infrastructure program (trillion dollar initiative proposed in the budget; backed and upheld – ‘Good’ performance). One can at best classify these as a “manifesto”. The manifesto is usually for the full term and not for a short appraisal recording the assessment of individual. Hence, the 100 days activity period will only be a harbinger of detailed actions in the process of implementation. ‘Many a little makes a mickle’, and little improvements combined with forward movements on every promise during the period will count in significance.

No major achievement(s) indicative of a distinguishing mark, eminence, or honor. But just as a chip on the shoulder indicates that there’s wood higher up, every little progress is indicative of a larger impact in future. Combine this with the kind of external and internal forces due to sudden turn of events, and one’s task becomes all the more strenuous and enduring. From this perspective one can safely regard the President’s ‘EFFORT’ as more than just ordinary or plain.

From a Commonsense Management point of view, President Donald Trump’s persona during the period can be expressed in the following three words – “Supremo, Steers’man, and Slovak” as depicted in the figure below :

(a) Supremo : President Donald Trump is like a Supremo with a strong hold on power with popular support and authority. Although some may doubt his mental agility and decisions, he seems to be exhibiting his drive and determination to pursue the goal of treading a path different from the previous heads of state. His acts were encouraged and supported by those around him which was good for short-term plans, but found wanting in terms of experience for resolving any conflict (as with the spontaneous retaliatory attack on Syria but without a concrete plan for further courses of action due obviously to time constraints). However, the experience gained, in particular the success of the attack destroying a Syrian airbase sending a clear signal that the US will not be a passive onlooker of the catastrophic chemical warfare now or in future; a clear message of his priority to protect and ensure the safety and security of the citizens in danger, threat, or distress. The record of the destruction of a major part of Syria’s airpower cannot be overlooked. Analysts may do postmortem for long. Need to improve intelligence; active diplomatic maneuvers; inadequacy of a political solution for now; swift, effective and productive counteractions; creation of a culture to enable the above are the lessons learnt. The Supremo stands supreme.

(b) Steers’man : President Donald Trump is like the steers’man with a dominant role in Strategic Thinking to steer the America First Vision. His main theme in this exercise incorporates leadership by “Nationally Associated Mind” (NAM) in tackling the problems facing the nation now, as he promised. His actions represent a congruence of thoughts from his advisers as strategists; industry champions as doers; and people as voices of concern and beneficiaries. Through his actions on revival of coal mining jobs; appointment of Neil M Gorsuch as Supreme Court Justice; considering designs and prototypes for the construction of the wall in the Southern border; – he has displayed his understanding of the nuances of managing concerns of people as well as the responsibility of his team. Great leaders have the right helpful mechanisms with courage programmed and course corrections incorporated to achieve the goal. While President Donald Trump has set his destination right and possibly clear, he still is engaged in creating and installing the right mechanism for the actions going forward. This will be his challenge after his 100 days reign. The steers’man steers in good stead.

(c) Slovak : President Donald Trump’s principles and promises seem to parallel the Slovakian in EU even if the two nations are not comparable in terms of economy, geography, and diversity. It is not related either, nor can it be transmitted to other areas. The two striking priorities between the two, however, can be traced to (a) making the economy strong with jobs and growth; and (b) formulating a sustainable migration and asylum policies. In both cases, priority themes at the forefront are driven by (a) projects and programs having a practical impact on improving the quality of life; and (b) focus on people welfare seeking to achieve results in every part of the nation. President Donald Trump as the leader will strive to create an appropriate environment for development; unify the entire geography of America; introduce a sustainable immigration policy; build the stability, prosperity, and democracy as its fundamental pillars. The Slovak reminds the Slovakian in action.

If the first 100 days saw the beginning in the nature of right, power, energy, and resourcefulness – his performance should be marked with praise.

People may be guessing and wondering whether President Donald Trump can find the best remedy for all the ills affecting the American Society – a goal he has envisioned during his campaign – but his initiatives during the first 100 days reflect determinately that he is honestly engaged in looking at the problems through his own prism, right or wrong and the constraints or shortcomings notwithstanding . He will eagerly look forward to support from Congressional members on both sides of the aisle for all his key programs.

He shall, however, be ready to withstand pressure for the next 1360 days!

What Abe Lincoln said is appropriate in this context : “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm” and “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedom it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”

“Dieu avec nous”

Saturday, April 29, 2017 – 8. 49 a.m. (IST)

Tidbit : “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you wish to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln.

Here’s a compilation of key events/initiatives that happened during President Donald Trump’s Week 14 in Office :

1. President Donald Trump’s new Tax Code entails the following seven key elements : (a) The number of tax brackets for individuals has been reduced from 7 to 3 now. (b) Standard Deduction is doubled. (c) Repeal of Alternative Minimum Tax. (d) Lower Capital Gains tax from 23.8% to 20%. (e) Repeal of Inheritance Tax. (f) Preserving deductions for mortgages and charity. (g) Corporate tax reduced from 35% to 15%. President Donald Trump is a high income earner. He receives income from 564 business entities and can take advantage of low rate on “pass through” companies. It is felt that his proposal signifies a strong tilt to favor the business and rich people. It is also felt that major benefits would not last beyond 10 years at the most, because laws do not permit deficits above that window. Details are yet to be released.

2. Economic growth will offset the proposed tax cuts is the argument in support. However, many economists do not concur.

3. President Donald Trump signs two executive orders in his move to shift environment policy : (a) to expand offshore drilling ; and (b) to roll back conservation of public lands. The lands will be open to drilling, mining, and logging due to this order. It will also permit offshore drilling in the protected waters of Atlantic and Arctic. Chief aim is creation of more jobs in the energy sector – a promise he made in Election Campaign.

4. Negotiations of a spending bill that will likely set aside any provision for border wall construction while at the same time increasing the funding for military and border security measures can effectively neutralize any threat of a government shutdown. In a healthy and hearty sign of legislative fraternity, the Congress today approved a one week spending measure till next Friday setting in motion negotiations for a long-term Spending Package.

5. William H Orrick, United States District Court Judge, blocked the President’s move to deprive federal funding to localities that do not align with immigration enforcement efforts citing rules that such efforts can be imposed only by the Congress. The sanctuary cities may feel relieved as at present.

6. Federal Communications Commission Chairman, Ajit Pai, plans to loosen the government’s oversight of high speed Internet providers. Central to this is the net neutrality. “The more heavily you regulate something, the less of it you are likely to get”-he says. High Speed Internet Service should no longer be treated like a public utility with strict rules, but should largely be left to police itself, he added. This plan is contrary to Obama’s signature telecom decision which had the support of the tech industry. Net neutrality is back to the fore again.

7. House Freedom Caucus lends a fresh lease of life to the Repeal of ACA by giving it’s approval to a new, more conservative version. But Republicans could not muster enough support to get it through.

8. Renegotiating and not abandoning Nafta is President Donald Trump’s priority now – a change in script from his election campaign thunder – as evidenced from his telephone calls with Mexican President and Canadian PM.

9. Jared Kushner’s business partner, an Israeli investor, has been an enabling hand in his multi billion dollar business with potential for conflict – it is revealed.

10. Ivanka Trump’s accolades in defense of her father that he has been a “tremendous champion of supporting families” at the W20 Summit in Berlin met with unpleasant responses.

11. Fox News faces a class action lawsuit for its “abhorrent, intolerable, unlawful, and hostile racial discrimination” brought before the Court by Eleven current and former employees.

” Dieu avec nous”

Saturday, April 29, 2017.

Tidbit : ” The main task of any President is to work for the Public Good”.

Here’s a compilation of events/actions initiated by President Donald Trump during his Week 13 in Office.

1. President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order to curb foreign workers, to safeguard the interest of American workers, and to put an end to “the theft of American prosperity” resulting from low wage immigrant labor. The order is a reflection of his resolve to implement one of the electoral promises – “Buy American, Hire American”.

2. President Donald Trump wants Government agencies to purchase more products and services from US companies and hire more American workers.

3. China, Japan, and Canada were the focus of President Donald Trump’s anti-trade action this week, with America’s steel imports from the first two on investigation, and the financial injuries caused to American Dairy Farmers due to Canada also finding strong expression. Policy changes are unclear at the moment, though. Supporters will be happy.

4. In a Congressional contest in Georgia, (represented by Tom Price, presently the Health & Human Services Secretary) that gave powerful jitters to the Republicans, Jon Ossoff, the Democrat, missed his majority by the skin of teeth setting in motion a June run off with Karen Handel, the leading Republican in the group. It is a warning sign providing time for corrections that Republicans as a group need to put their best foot forward in the 2018 contests.

5. Carl Vinson, the US aircraft carrier, and four other warships ordered in to the Sea of Japan intended to be a deterrent to North Korea’s provocative missile tests turned in to a cause for worry as at the moment they were sailing in the opposite direction to partake in joint exercises with Australian Navy in Indian Ocean.

6. North Korea’s UN Deputy Representative, Kim In Ryong, at a Press Conference unleashed a torrent of threats, war scenarios, and rhetoric aimed at US. Vice President, Mike Pence, warned North Korea not to test the resolve of U.S.A. or “the strength of our military forces”. Pursuing diplomatic moves are not ruled out. North Korea’s UN ambassador condemned the US naval build up in the waters off the Korean Peninsula, plus the US missile attacks on Syria. Kim said : “It has created a dangerous situation in which thermonuclear war may break out at any moment on the Peninsula & poses a serious threat to world peace & security”.

7. Pentagon begins review of US nuclear weapons policy.

8. Democrats will consider how the proposed tax code will benefit President Donald Trump and his family before taking a stand on support or otherwise for the “tax code” action. Republicans also seem divided on this issue.

9. Justice Department is weighing whether to charge Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, for his role in the disclosure of classified information that the US claims has harmed the National Security and Diplomatic relations. President Donald Trump’s administration terms Julian Assange’s Wikileaks as a “hostile intelligence service”.

10. Bill O’Reilly, the celebrated prime time host on Fox News has been ousted due to disclosures on his multiple settlements involving sexual harassment allegations against him.

11. Ivanka Trump, President Donald Trump’s daughter, has filed 173 foreign trademarks in 21 countries including Hong Kong and EU.

12. Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, says :”I’m amazed that a judge on island in the Pacific can block President Trump’s Immigration Order”.

Turning our attention to the Commonsense Management perspective now, it must be stated that the President’s Governance Model is shifting too slowly to assume a mature path :

The figure below represents the ‘three P’s’ of the model :

(a) Product : President’s actions do not appear to suggest any clear model worthy of imitation or following at this stage. Even many of his followers who staunchly favored him in the Election would not consider his actions constructive enough to be copied marking a pattern. If some of his retreats may have added new support hitherto unnoticed, the same would have eroded some in equal measure from his loyal constituency. The result overall may not be much to boast of or be proud of. The singular characteristic that stands out amid all his flip-flops, confusion, disquiet & disorder, anxiety, and even embarrassment is his surge of continuity in behavior, gestures, and operations suggestive of a ‘fighting mode’ to reverse the order of events he views as important to his goal. “This is his Product”. Even with this silver lining it seems hard to arrest the growing negative public perceptions to any degree. This presents his biggest challenge after the first 100 days of ‘uneasiness’.

(b) Programs : The program(s) that the leader places in front of his people, howsoever incomplete or imperfect they be, are what will decide and render feedback in respect of the progress/performance of the leadership team vis-a-vis people’s readiness to accept or reject them. He needs a “program” that is capable of shaking the status quo in Washington DC that has the potential to bring about a positive change in Governance. It is appropriate here to mention the program initiated by the Indian PM on job & skills development to employees. With President Donald Trump’s emphasis on promoting jobs in manufacturing specially, such a massive training program by companies in partnership with academic institutions and the government will afford a significant move ahead.

(c) People : People, perhaps a majority now, generally expect that President Donald Trump will fail to inspire or slip up in his programs as it happened with the tweets, and to an extent barring the spontaneous retaliatory attack on Syria and a little less in the case of changing the lottery system in H-1B visas ostensibly to promote American workers dwelling under their own vine and fig tree(s), his actions have largely been a vindication of this aspect – “America First”. What he is attempting is to walk a different path untreaded before. Without focusing big on what he wants, a focus to bridge the gap between the rich and poor is imperative. This only can make him a “people’s president’.

To conclude : The present government now in its nascent stage(s) can best be described in terms of a start-up in business with a ‘best common viable goal’ – the goal of making America First – with a plain and ordinary PRODUCT moving ahead to settle a small element of a Big purpose and progressing forward. These are days of start-ups and not behemoths and that should be more than encouraging to the present leadership team even if election campaign words turn out to be different from concrete actions.

“Dieu avec nous”

Saturday, April 22, 2017 – 8. 29 a.m. (IST).

Tidbit : ” It takes 20 years to build a reputation and just 5 minutes to ruin it”. – Warren Buffet.

Here’s the list of key initiatives taken/ events happened during President Donald Trump’s Week 12 in Office :

1. New York Times wins three Pulitzer prizes : (a) Breaking News photography for Daniel Berehulak – for providing a portrait of a violent campaign in Philippines; (b) Feature writing for CJ Chives for his piece on a young veteran of the War in Afghanistan suffering from PTSD; and (c) International Reporting for the series on Russia’s surreptitious assertion of power. Public service award goes to Daily News for a series on New York Police Department’s widespread abuse of decades old laws to force people from their homes and businesses over alleged illegal activity.

2. A Federal Judge struck down Texas’s 2011 Voter Identification Law, ruling that it was enacted with the intent to discriminate against black and Hispanic voters.

3. President Donald Trump’s proposed cuts in Environmental Programs will affect Clean Water, Pollution Control, and Law Enforcement – prevailing general feeling. Former President George Bush favors foreign aid. Cuts on US spending abroad is not the right move according to him.

4. Meeting aggressive sales goals by creating fraudulent accounts scandal consumed two more executives of Wells Fargo – John G Stumpf, former Chief Executive, and Carrie L Tolstedt, former Head of Community Banking – who have been commanded to pay $ 75 million in compensation. The conditions and culture prompting this scandal were detailed in a 113 page report after six months of investigations.

5. Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos has withdrawn several memos regarding Consumer Protections for Student Loan borrowers issued under the previous administration. High quality customer service plus accountability and transparency for all borrowers plus limiting costs to taxpayers are the key intents.

6. President Donald Trump passed his First Test of his reign/administration when Republican Ron Estes won the Kansas Congressional seat, albeit a narrow margin, vacated by Mike Pompeo, presently the CIA Director.

7. Attempts at twisting/masking Syrian Government’s culpatory act in the last week’s Chemical Weapons Attack by Russia casts further doubts on President Donald Trump’s strong adherence to Russian President Vladimir Putin

8. The first meeting between President Donald Trump’s top official, Secretary of State, and Russian President took place on Wednesday. This came in the wake of the Russian cover up in Syria Chemical attack, an accusation the WH understandingly held.

9. President Donald Trump’s wow to revise the tax code has been viewed with apprehension/fear by the Democrats presenting the President’s Conflict of Interest threadbare even as the President has been unwilling to overhaul deductions he has used to avoid paying taxes.

10. President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-lago, Florida, slapped with 13 health violations, three of them categorized as “high priority”.

11. President Donald Trump signs anti Planned Parenthood law.

12. US dropped the most potent non-nuclear bomb (21600 kg) in East Afghanistan close to Pakistan border to destroy the ISIS strongholds in the region, tunnels, and bunkers on Thursday.

Of significance this week from Commonsense Management perspective are :

First, the ‘Change in the President’s Rules of Engagement’ specially with foreign nations/institutions. The figure below puts this in perspective :

President Donald Trump seems to be amenable to changes in his positions adopted with strong feelings during the Election Campaign : 1. From NATO being ‘obsolete’ to NATO is ‘no longer obsolete’. 2. From ‘China being currency manipulators and perpetrators of trade losses’ to ‘China is no longer the currency manipulator, and President Xi Jinping is sincere in helping defuse the US showdown with North Korea’. 3. From ‘Our relationship with Russia is beneficial’ to ‘We may be at an all-time low in terms of our relationship with Russia’ now. Rather than criticising these as flip-flops, the President’s views above shall be taken to reflect prudence and diplomacy in the face of combatant challenges – a stand also indicative of the deep learning initiative he is able to bring to his character and temperament that his critics have been contesting forcibly until now.

People’s psychological changes and reflections to any action(s) of the leader are so fast changing and uncertain mimicking the swinging movements of a metronome that what works or perceived to be working in the ‘present’ cannot be guaranteed even for short durations in the political horizon of this new age. Changing views is an inescapable requirement of making for the objectives in a situation as it exists now globally. Just as in business to repair the damage caused to a company is much more than just a tall order (say, for example : as with disgruntled customers), in Politics to redeem the positive perceptions once lost is more than just humongous.

If the President does not move ahead consistently, it would mean he has either stopped or the hurdles in course have worked successfully. But, he is moving ahead consistently by “tweaking and shifting his stance on issues” as above with determined assertion and aggression. It is also significant to note that the President is still in the introductory stage of Governance ( you only have to draw a parallel to the concept of Marketing PLC to understand this). Time is the essence and immediate pronouncements for or against may not be appropriate.

Second, to say a little more on the President’s Governance Model :

President Donald Trump has astutely incorporated the three following elements in his model of Governance :” Eraser, Establisher, and Enterpriser “.

The figure below depicts the three E’s of his model as observed at this juncture :

(a) Eraser : Eraser tries to erase some memories, programs, schemes, plans, or even thoughts prevalent among people. First, President Donald Trump took the mood, emotions, faith, beliefs, and changing attitudes of people to harness and sustain the loyalty and following to his `brand’ of administration. Second, he identified “Growth & Jobs”, “Immigration Control & Stability”, and “Safety & Security” of people as the three pillars of his population market segment to focus on. In the process he forged ahead with undoing and redoing some programs of the earlier government(s). Some like it, some do not. “My mode of operation is different and I’ll not hesitate to be flexible” – is possibly what the President attempts to convey to people. This is how the “Eraser” that President Donald Trump is, perhaps, wants to move ahead and recognized.

(b) Establisher : Establisher tries to establish, fix, Institute, or even educate people to hold power and position. To put his ideas to work and fruition, President Donald Trump needs to muster partnerships to manage and sustain internal/external resistances to a minimum. If President Donald Trump’s views on Russia, after the deadly Chemical Weapons Attack in Syria; on Syria, his harsh words that Bashar-al-Assad’s actions should not go unpunished with Secretary of state, and the US representative of the UN Assembly echoing similar views openly; on China, the somewhat unexpected camaraderie displayed with the Chinese President Xi Jinping last week; on Germany, his congratulations on phone to the Chancellor Angela Merkel on her local elections victory coming close on the heels of the well critiqued indifference to shake hands courteously when they met in WH – all signaling significantly deep departures from his election campaign views, but a portend to his possible shift in foreign policy initiatives strategically valued to arrest tensions. This possibly is how the President, the “Establisher” that he is, wants to dig his heels in.

(c) Enterpriser : Enterpriser tries to initiate, develop, risk, build, or even excite and embolden people, policies, institutions, and the nation(s). As is his wont, President Donald Trump has been daring and adventurous in his decisions – Spontaneous attack on Syria; Cutting funds/foreign aid for some sectors in the budget; Attempting to repeal and replace ACA; Going forward with new designs and preliminary work on building the Wall in the Southern border are some in this context. He is possibly engaging in pilot Market Research to gauge the reactions of people, analysts, and critics. It is perfectly in order up to a point at this juncture. What is, however, crucial will be the ensuing actions in the nature of Kanban/Kaiser – incremental improvements to all of the above programs even as they progress. This possibly is how the President, the “Enterpriser” that he is, charts his course of accomplishments.

In conclusion : What possibly can impact seriously his effectiveness is his words perceived by many as rudish, more than his deeds getting attacked openly in these uncertain circumstances. This weakness has the potential to affect the spirit and morale of his own associates besides impacting the work in progress. Cautious optimism will be the watchword.

If that be his goal, his acts have to be viewed with thought; he should be given adequate time for future corrections; his programs monitored closely before passing any verdict prematurely. Meaningful improvements in the lives of people may not be visible still. It is only 12 weeks now, and he has still a lot of time to redeem and redintegrate. Can people hope for a magic bullet work?

“Dieu avec nous”

Saturday, April 15, 2017 – 10.39 a.m. (IST)

Tidbit : “Making your plans according to circumstances, and not first plan and then make circumstances is the success mantra.”

This is listing the key initiatives during President Donald Trump’s Week 11 of Presidency :

1. Attorney General Jeff Sessions had ordered a review of Federal agreements with thousands of law enforcement agencies including those that address abuses. This examination reflecting President Donald Trump’s emphasis on law and order; and reducing violent crime could lead to a further retreat on consent decrees nationwide.

2. President Addel Fatah el-Sisi of Egypt is emboldened by President Donald Trump’s validation. Former President Barack Obama had a different equation with the leader of Egypt.

3. Stephen K Bannon has been removed from National Security Council. NSA, Lt Gen HR McMaster’s imprint is solid, strong, and stable.

4. President Donald Trump describes his $ 1 trillion Infrastructure Bill as a High Value Legislative bill.

5. President Donald Trump defended Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly with words: “A Good Person” ; “I don’t think Bill did anything wrong”.

6. Possible changes to a program that allows tech companies to import foreign workers may be adding to an even heavier rush for visas than usual this year – it is felt.

7. US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that “Entry level Computer Programming jobs” would no longer automatically qualify as a ‘Specialty Occupation’ which is a basic requirement for receiving H-1B Visa. Justice Department on Monday warned that it would look closely at any employer that showed a preference for H-1B workers instead of Americans. This comes just before the Government starts accepting applications for next year H-1B visas. Tech companies will likely face more scrutiny. Big companies like Google, FL may not be affected.

8. Devin Nunes, Donald Trump’s chief ally on the Congressional Committee investigating the President’s connections to Russia stepped aside from the inquiry, leaving the WH open to further attacks of the nature in future.

9. Neil M Gorsuch becomes the 113th Justice of the Supreme Court with his confirmation by the Senate today. “A feather in President Donald Trump’s cap” – who promised to appoint a Committed Conservative succeeding the deceased Antonio Scalia in February 2016.

10. North Korea tests a medium range ballistic missile reinforcing the American belief that it is a threat to be taken seriously with potential to strike the Foreign Policy Engagements.

11. Expressing his deep felt sympathies to the victims of the Chemical Weapons attack in Syria, President Donald Trump said : “the death of innocent children, women, and little beautiful babies” (86 people including 27 children) makes him reassess the situation in Syria. It poses a foreign policy challenge to the President.

12. ” No child of God should ever suffer such horror” – said President Donald Trump and in a retaliatory measure authorized military and air strikes on Syria.

13. Israel supported the move recognizing in terms of a “strong message” sent in retaliation for the chemical attack – that Chemical Weapons will not be tolerated.

Moving on to the ‘management’ takeaways now :

President Donald Trump’s political periegesis needs to mark a distinct path of Governance if he is to etch his stamp and to ‘position’ U.S.A’s role in the world at this critical juncture.

Three events that contribute significantly to a fundamental change in the President’s perceptions are (a) the harsh awakenings imparted by the ‘chemical weapons attack’ and the consequent death of 80 odd civilians including women and babies; (b) “North Korea’s ballistic missile test”, and (c) the diplomatic challenge posed by the Chinese President, Xi JinPing’s,
visit in the light of President Donald Trump’s remarks with conviction during his election campaign on Trade Deal losses and Currency Manipulation maneuvers.

It is only a week earlier the President affirmed the Construction Workers Unions – ” I’m not, and I do not want to be the President of the World; from now on it’s going to be ‘America First'”.

The events mentioned above may not be construed as a distraction, but they definitely call for a shift in President Donald Trump’s positioning of U.S.A. as America First during his inaugural in January 2017 to a more perceptible focus on some “jarring global operations” constituting a New Governance Model.

The Figure below presents the three elements of the New Governance Model.

First, it begins with ‘repositioning U.S.A.’ possibly incorporating global involvement while ensuring the safety and security of America.

Second, the President’s swift actions locally are transforming the way he infuses enthusiasm even though it excites and emboldens mostly his loyal constituency. It still makes his overall ‘people connection’ weak and suspect. It has to be enlarged and spread further to cover a majority of the population. If it is data that connects with customers in business, it is the sentiment and execution that connects people in politics. Accelerated program execution is a priority at this juncture.

Third, the President needs a different formula to solve new challenges – a formula that will incorporate ‘hard and soft’; ‘strong and less strong’; ‘beneficial and sacrificial’ elements creating a new value to his ‘brand’ giving a more satisfying ‘Trumpesque’ experience to people. It means that he should promote big businesses even while encouraging small businesses/startups; he should promote coal, oil, and gas for energy independence even while encouraging renewable resources; he should promote stringent immigration control even while accepting those who spent long years contributing positively to the nation’s growth; and the likes. An obvious question that arises in this context is how this ideal can be achieved. Is there a proven ratio of the mix available based on past experiences or studies? Will a 60:40 or 70:30 ratio be the optimum? Can trials be formulated and worked in practice? Academicians and researchers will ponder.

Final Inference : A singular but complex problem that will haunt any leader in program execution is ‘resistance to change’ which will force the leadership to work on enhancing trust and bridging the trust gap between the loyalists and common people who differ in their views. The best recourse for the leader under the circumstances is to engage in aggressive propaganda measures communicating the benefits of programs to people by the lawmakers in every constituency. I wish to recall in this context what the Indian PM said just a couple of months ago, and once earlier in 2015, that his “party legislators would do well not to sit and chat in the Parliamentary Hall in Delhi but go to their constituencies and communicate the brighter aspects of the Government’s programs to people”. He urged with command and most legislators pursued in all sincerity. The result was for all to see. Except for Delhi, Bihar, and just last month in Punjab his party virtually steamrolled the opposition in all elections since the leader’s own epic election in May 2014. This is the kind of change that the foreign leader needs to emulate now. 2018 is not far enough to ignore this aspect. I only believe that it’ll be quiet appropriate and the act sensible. This, perhaps, is the best tool in Democracy in the right place at this point in time particularly when challenges seem insurmountable and uncertain. Also when the leader engages in undoing and redoing things in a different way, as President Donald Trump attempts now. That the American people may not be surprised or shocked about their leader’s moves – since the leader has declamatorily poured these acts over and over during his election campaign even with time frames in some cases – is in itself a blessing from the point of view of Commonsense Management Principles of Governance. This aspect has to be further tested and discussed specially when deviation in courses of actions and even in Foreign Policy loom large now.

President Donald Trump will be “Making New Rules for a New Order in this New Age” will be what most analysts and observers may anticipate.

“Dieu avec nous”

Saturday, April 8, 2017 – 11.29 a.m. (IST)

Tidbit : ” What Donald Trump has been is of not much consequence now; what he is now and what he wants to be during his Presidency is what matters most.”

The following comprise the list of key actions initiated by President Donald Trump during his Week 10 in Office :

1. Pulling down the Affordable Health Care Act (AHCA) and the frictions between the groups within the Republicans coming to the surface could well impact his other ideas/programs like tax code etc.

2. John Kasich, Ohio Governor, said that bipartisan engagement (including views of Democrats) is essential for the AHCA to attain fruition.

3. Medicaid now covers more Americans than Medicare and it played a significant role in stopping the Republican initiative to repeal and replace the ACA. House Republican leaders say they have restarted negotiations on repeal of ACA.

4. Congress passes bill allowing ISPs to sell customers’ web surfing data. ISP privacy rules remain eliminated, – the rules issued by FCC would have required home internet and mobile broadband providers to get consumers’ opt-in consent before selling or sharing web browsing history; app usage history; and other private information with advertisers and companies. CRA passed a joint resolution that FCC cannot issue similar regulations in future.

5. Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump, to be questioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee about the meetings he arranged with the Russian Ambassador, Sergey L Kislyak.

6. Carl Icahn, the billionnaire, is advising on regulations including pressing for a change in an EPA rule that has cost an oil refinery he’s interested in millions of dollars.

7. Investigations into Russian-US election meddling by Senate and House enters a critical phase.

8. President Donald Trump’s eighth consecutive weekend spent at properties bearing his name. Questions arise whether his relaxation schedules are justified or not.

9. Trey Gowdy to head FBI as of April 1. By virtue of holding a Congressional job he’ll officially be the FBI Director in January 2019 only. Until then he’ll investigate cases including Benghazi.

10. North Carolina General Assembly voted in favor of a bill that’ll repeal the controversial law affecting transgender bathroom use in public buildings. When the Governor signs it, this will become a law even while this is not favored by groups on either side.

11. President Donald Trump sees the Freedom Caucus, opposing his agenda causing a great setback to his new AHCA last week, as a threat that needs to be countered seriously.

12. In a move intended to rewrite Clean Power Plan and secure Energy Independence even while rolling back former President Barack Obama’s “Climate Change” legacy, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order that’ll free the US from previous Climate Change commitments. The expectations of bringing back or giving a push to mining jobs, however, are not seen as encouraging at this juncture. This act will give China an excellent opportunity to assume a new role as the torch bearer of Climate Change initiatives and Control efforts in future.

13. President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, will become a government employee in the capacity of an unpaid adviser to the President in the White House. This is expected to neutralise the criticism from ethics experts, it is felt.

14. Michael Flynn, former NSA, has expressed his interest to respond to the House and Senate Investigators examining Trump Campaign’s ties to Russia in exchange for immunity from prosecution. The investigators, however, at this moment are unwilling.

15. The surge of optimism among Democrats from actions in the last couple of months is likely to invigorate them for the 2018 mid term elections.

16. President Donald Trump signed two Executive Orders – one aimed at identifying and targeting foreign trade abuses, a 90 day study of US trade deficits with some largest trade partners; and two, a measure concerned with effecting enforcement of US anti dumping laws.

Now, my move to commonsense management inferences and arguments :

President Donald Trump may well resort to the following actions in an effort to redefine his strategy to fulfil the promises made.

The figure below represents the ‘Redemptive Restoration and Renewal Act’ of President Donald Trump to right the wrong.

(a) Identify sub programs to every major program prior to execution : The celerity with which President Donald Trump’s actions appears in news is faster than even the flying rumors in this new age. Whether this can ensure the expectations of people and constitute a sustainable new political model is what perplexes and worries analysts, media, and the common people. For e.g. if bringing more jobs is the core idea, a practical accompaniment to improve the necessary modern skills of jobs is the best way to empower people. It means that every new program launch should incorporate a “sub program” to leverage modern practices and actions for better outcome. The financial outlay may involve federal, state, or private (concerned industry sector) contributions as necessary. It is like breaking a complex problem into simple elements to solving the whole issue.

(b) A new narrative and its propagation : This involves designing a new form of a narrative in the manner of storytelling and propagation of the same to the larger public through all available channels of communication intensely. Every aligned legislator should devote fully to this task in his/her constituency to bring about a change in the minds of people. With the withdrawl of AHCA last week, President Donald Trump is burdened with the problem again. It is an example of a leader with power acting faster than others before, but not heeding to the big requirements that’ll make people who matter in passing legislation satisfied. It also serves as an example of an issue/program howsoever noble it is can meet with failure in this age of restless antagonism. While the support of Democrats cannot be taken for granted, the possible Republican revolt is of serious concern. Success of passing the bill has now been blocked. President needs to make the people feel that it will be better for them to seize the opportunity to make progress. He also needs to get from them (they have a moral responsibility to give strength) the elements that can make the passage of law well and safe. This is what every legislator supporting the program shall strive to ensure through active propaganda in his/her constituency. This is what public support is all about. I know it is simple to say but hard to implement. But it ought to be done.

(c) Counterattack : This is the ‘obvious’, in the form of an Aggressive Counterattack, bringing about the fallacies of the years long failed program(s). President Donald Trump, despite setbacks, is moving at a brisk pace in all his initiatives : Strong military action in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq; Strong statements to the effect that the AHCA will witness its renewal; Eliminating the ISP privacy rules even if it cannot be viewed as flawless fully; Getting ahead with construction of the border wall with little regard to financial feasibility; Being firm on travel ban issue; – these are just a few to cite in this regard. It is not my argument to justify the actions but to emphasize the tenacity and intent of actions that at times may yield positive results. Can offence be the best form of defence ? ‘No’ as well as ‘I am not sure’. We’ll have to wait to see.

In conclusion : Overall, it appears that if the President does not want the trajectory of his actions to be impeded with such failures (withdrawl of AHCA ) any further, the three aspects depicted in the figure earlier may well be one of many recipies.

“Dieu avec nous”

Saturday, April 1 , 2017 – 11. 19 a.m (IST)

Tidbit : ” No man will ever bring out of the Presidency the reputation that carries him into it ” – Thomas Jefferson.