Vizija nove Hrvatske - zemlja nade, pravde i prilika
Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS) - Last week I interviewed to be the Minister of Economics in Croatia’s new government. It is an honor to be invited and considered. I was told that each candidate needed to prepare a 5-point plan for the Ministry and was given 48 hours to produce it. With that said, my plan conveyed the following key elements that I believe must be communicated to the public whomever the new administration selects. 1. Croatia desperately needs a new vision to rally its citizens. If our path remains unchanged, our economic future will be like our past. We need to paint a new picture of our better selves in which we are prudent, responsible, and use our opportunities wisely. Croatia needs to be a land of hope, justice and opportunity and can be with the right leadership. The new Ministry of Economics’ job is to enable the growth which will make that vision a reality - and that is done by unleashing the private sector. 2. There are no magic bullets that will magically cure our sick economy. Croatia’s economy did not enter its tailspin because of one critically bad decision, but through a series of bad decisions – our whole approach was wrong. The cure - a change in perspective founded on great leadership and a responsible and rational approach to managing our economy. 3. Communication will make or break this government. The new government will only succeed if it can successfully communicate and sell its vision and subsequent measures to the following constituencies: 1) Croatian voters, 2) Croatian businesses, 3) international investors, and 4) rating agencies and international institutions. 4. KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) is the proper approach. Croatian problems are not as complicated as many would have us believe – well … not complicated if you really want to make reforms. To Einstein’s famous line ˝If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough˝ I would add, and you can’t sell it either.
