Corporate Culture of “U.S. Congress, Inc.”
…internally focused - not designed for efficient decision-making - could use some performance goals…
Something felt out-of-kilter while watching the State of the Union (SOTU) address last week. As usual in this event, the media seemed to focus more on who clapped, stood up and frowned than on the content of the speech. This focus is a traditional ritual at SOTU, as a way to determine the degree of political support for the President’s proposed agenda. At the same time, you could read this attention as highlighting the reality of a very inwardly focused U.S. Congress - more interested in themselves than on meeting performance goals of crafting legislation.
After watching the drama unfold, I started to think about the U.S. Congress as a corporation - we can call it “U.S. Congress, Inc.” It has a budget of $3.5 trillion and a customer base of 308 million people. It has approximately 15,000 employees - 635 professionals (with union-like affiliations to political parties), 14,000 staff and an outsourced administrative staff of about 1,000.
Its formal leaders, President Pro-tem of the Senate and the Speaker of the House are really in name only with little positional power. While the real power is held informally by the professional union (party) leaders. The most common forms of decision-making are consensus, arm-wrestling, filibustering and voting. And finally, the strategic planning process is a set of vague recommendations done by another group, called the Executive Branch with little power to enforce. Mmmm, not an organizational design that one would say is designed for efficient achievement of performance goals.
Now, this complicated design was fostered by the founding fathers of “U.S. Congress, Inc.” This design’s purpose was to support their belief in the importance of checks and balances as the best way to maintain a democratic form of government. This central belief of division of power is what drives the corporate culture of “U.S. Congress, Inc” and it is not a bad belief.
Following this line of thought, it also makes sense why the professional employees of “U.S. Congress, Inc.” spend much time inwardly focused. Deciding when to stand up and when to clap is most likely one of the easiest decisions of their work day!
As an outsider looking in, there is only one recommendation that makes sense to increase organizational efficiency at “U.S. Congress, Inc.” It is a very similar recommendation given to leaders of many big corporations. Before next year’s State of the Union address, have formal and informal leaders spend time with the Executive Branch to develop clear performance goals.
So next year, the media focus will be on which of “U.S. Congress, Inc’s” customers are standing, applauding or frowning!
