Now Doria must explain what “kind” of manager he will be

Many believe that the crushing first-round victory of João Doria for mayor of the city of São Paulo was the result, among other factors, of the slogan “I am not a politician, I am a manager.” Ideologies and catchphrases aside, it is really very interesting to observe that “management” may have been an influential force in these elections in the largest and richest city in the country, and in some others as well, such as Campinas, one of the largest and most influential cities in the interior of the state of São Paulo.

It is quite possible that such a slogan had an effect on a large part of the population that really wants a manager, someone who effectively solves or addresses their main problems. And not someone who only talks about it, without having the capacity to actually solve them.

We have been raising this issue in this column for some time. In the column “Municipal elections: candidates need to talk more about ‘how’ to do things” of August 2, for example, I defended the idea that it was not enough just to say “what” will be done, but, above all, “how” it will be done. This is fundamental in a manager.

Also in the column “Candidates need to stimulate municipal economic vocations” of September 13, I discussed why a good municipal public manager needs, in addition to solving emergency problems, to also develop the economic profile of cities, since it is in them that people live and work.

In this sense, perhaps it is up to the new mayor to explain what kind of manager he will be. This has not yet become clear.

After all, the President of the Republic recently removed through the impeachment process was also elected to her first term with the promise that she would be an effective “manager.” Her administration proved to be nothing short of disastrous.

There are many poorly run companies. There are ineffective managers. Saying that a mayor should be a good manager is a good first step. But it is not enough.

We hope we will not get that typical manager who follows so-called “modern management,” which can still be found in a large part of companies, including large multinationals.

That manager used to dealing with problems in offices and meeting rooms, who prefers to stay away from where problems happen, and is therefore hardly able to effectively solve failures and make improvements.

That manager who manages only on the basis of numbers, which bring ambiguous and often manipulated interpretations of reality.

That manager more concerned with the short-term financial performance of his organization than with customer satisfaction.

That manager more concerned with power and with his own career than with the needs of customers.

That manager who appears polite and respectful, who engages in dialogue and says he listens, but who thinks he knows and solves everything, without stimulating, training and developing the teams that support him.

It is a management model that has long been challenged in companies, since it produces very limited and sometimes very bad results.

Perhaps being elected because he showed a concern for being a “good manager” is already a great advance in public management. But we can and must go further.

I hope that Mayor Doria will be a manager different from the typical one described above, whom we still find a lot in Brazil and around the world.

The origins of lean management go back to Toyota in post-World War II Japan, a company that was going through a time of great difficulties and lack of resources. It was a small and poor company, but ambitious and aspiring to be the best.

From then on, it developed revolutionary concepts and practices oriented toward adding value for customers, which led it to become the most successful company in the world in a traditional and important sector such as the automotive industry.

Today, these practices have spread to all sectors and countries, including the public sector.

The situation the São Paulo city government is experiencing at this moment, in which the budget forecast for 2017 is about 30% smaller than this year's, reminds us a lot of the moment when lean management began to take shape.

In other words, social demands and expectations that increase at every moment. And increasingly scarce resources.

In this context, it might be more appropriate for mayors – or the mayors who really want to be good managers – to try to adopt this more contemporary view of management, that of the lean manager.

One who focuses his efforts on meeting the needs of customers/citizens.One who goes out into the streets to see things up close, at the “gemba,” to understand problems more deeply. Not to attract press attention, to engage in political proselytizing or to look active to voters. But to be able to actually solve problems. And who encourages this behavior throughout his team and administrative staff.

One who seeks to manage by the scientific method of finding the root causes of problems and implementing the most effective countermeasures.

One who tries to run quick experiments to solve specific problems and generate learning.

One who encourages and enables the search for management waste and tries to reduce or eliminate it, simplifying processes and prioritizing the activities that truly create value for citizens.

One who understands that the true role of the leader, of the manager, is to develop the people he works with, getting them to improve their work daily, eliminating waste and increasing value added from the citizen's point of view.

One who guarantees transparency for citizens and employees.

One who clearly defines priorities and establishes action plans in an aligned way to achieve the desired future.

These are some of the management elements and practices that need to be encouraged. But most public managers, and even those in the private sector, are not prepared for this.

Companies that have applied these practices and concepts achieve impressive results in productivity, quality, costs, customer satisfaction, lead time reductions (agility), etc.

For example, even in this period of crisis we have been experiencing, Toyota in Brazil is the automaker that has prospered the most, guaranteeing quality products and services to its customers.

May the new mayor be very successful, for the good of everyone who lives in São Paulo. But it is still necessary to understand what kind of manager João Doria will be.

Only practice will show, starting in January of next year or even in the coming months, when the management team is put together and the action plans are detailed.

Concrete actions and the results achieved will show whether he will be a so-called modern manager or whether he will take advantage of the teachings of the concepts and practices of lean management.

The advantages of the latter lie in the fact that such management does not require investment. But the difficult part is that it implies a new way of working and thinking, radically different from the traditional so-called modern one. With it, city governments may be able to accomplish much more for citizens with the scarce resources available.

Claiming to be a manager will not be enough to boost public management, so lacking in management practices that are even minimally rational from the citizens' point of view.

So, it is worth asking: what kind of manager?