How Football Managers Perform Better than Parliamentarians

Football is a game of results and accountability, the manager is constantly monitored and scrutinized by the press on daily basis. Every week he answers to the press two (2) or more times; before and after the game.

A manager shows up at a press conference to discuss his expectations and objective of the game with the knowledge that he will be back after 90 minutes to discuss the outcome. The game might turn up good or bad, either way he will have to show up for his performance and strategies to be questioned by the press or be praised for his achievement. Consistent winning of a manger is noticed and praises are received from the stadium fans, the press and even opponent managers. On a bad day the press is the enemy to him and on a good day he cannot wait to be in front of a camera. To sit in front of a camera knowing millions of people are watching your competency being questioned is the drive that gets them to think strategically and develop new ways of winning matches. Everyone will know if a manager is a success or a complete failure.

Managers of national teams don’t get to be scrutinized constantly but they know well to expect it during a tournament or qualifications to a tournament. Unfortunately they have a very small window of opportunity to succeed. And with a limited number of training sessions and matches, they must find a way to stay in a tournament longer enough to keep their job.

The openness of football to the fans, media and the general public has made it a beautiful sport to enjoy with additional improvements and initiatives every season, from the managers and the FAs' (football associations). Goal-line technology and VAR are all means of addressing the concerns of the fans. You can trust that a failing manager will notice his mistakes and fix the team or risk losing the fans support and his job subsequently. Some teams (Real Madrid) have gone further to add contract clauses that automatically terminates an appointment if no trophy is won at the end of the season.

Unlike parliamentarians who offer promises and hope without being accountable to the voters and the press, football managers are given seasonal objectives and target positions to be at the end of the first half of the season. The DCE’s, MCE’s and assembly men do not unite to form a competent board that can question the competencies of their MP. One major difference between a football manager and a parliamentarian is their way of thinking. Football managers know their status is a job position that demands results and accountability to the fans and the media. This idea has shaped their way of thinking from a comfortable position to a resultful and strategic one.

On the other hand and unfortunately for the people, the parliamentarian looks in the mirror every morning and calls his position ‘an achievement’ forgetting that there is work to be done. Most politicians think and feel that being voted for by a large number of people is an achievement and not a job appointment. His accountability and evaluation is done ones every four years, and nobody knows whether he goes to the parliament or even lives in the country. He doesn’t feel the need to be effective because there is no system to question his competency in front of his people. Captain Smart and the media might make waves on addressing the incompetence of some MPs’ but a 400 meter road started eight years ago will be completed 2 months prior to elections and the words of the media will go down the drain. Who cares what happened 3 years ago when we have a road of a walking distance. And we vote again for an incompetent leader.

The decentralization and departmentation of our country into constituencies makes it possible for the position of the MPs’ to be treated as a football managerial position. At least one conference with the stakeholders in each quarter to report on what has been done, address on what needs to be done and listening to the concerns of the people will impact massively on the development of our constituencies. Regular conferences will not only promote development and public accountability but will also bring to light the fact of many constituencies not having a town hall to host this event or any other event. Even the idea of public accountability presents a solution to an unidentified problem. Parliamentarians having to meet their people regularly will know they have to make a development every three months to be comfortable and maintain the trust of the people. Small and gradual improvements will sum up to a develop community after 4 years.

It is time for youth associations, student unions and the local press to request a regular conference with their leader. If you get a managers press conference after a game, then why can’t you have the same with your constituency manager (MP). Our leaders are in a position of employment and should be accountable to their employers (voters). If you have to wait only on election year to see your MP, then I can assure you there will be only one developmental project every 4 years.

I will encourage the strong media personalities, activist and young leaders to push for this initiative in their various constituencies to motivate and be an example to other constituencies. If your MP is incompetent and doesn’t want to be accountable don’t wait for four years to decide. There is no better time than now to get the development you deserve.

An effective executive will take advantage of this article and establish a good relation with his people to solve their problems and hear their suggestions.