The first hundred days of Bernard Grech: listen to the opposition within your own party

Third article

When it comes to dealing with people, care is the name of the game. Here is where Dr Bernard Grech has failed during these first 100 days in office. He did not address people correctly. It is not acceptable that a leader of a political party lacks such a skill. He needs to be unassuming and careful when asking questions. Nothing is more damaging than getting distorted answers after asking leading questions or having one’s own credibility damaged by jumping to hasty conclusions based on preconceived notions.

The golden rule is, to listen, observe and walk the floor when required. This is an art in which Eddie Fenech Adami greatly excelled. Dr Grech, you are allowing too much freehand to the multitude of individuals around you. This is very relevant in politics. This is a point that you need to grasp immediately. You need to learn “I listen a lot and I don’t really say much.”

You always say that you would like to see the Nationalist Party return back to the people. You have stated, more than once, that this mission is a priority for you. But are you actually speaking to the people? Are you on the phone with different people from all walks of life? At this stage, the important thing is to meet and talk to the voters. Their feedback is always interesting and of great importance.

Going into the field is not easy due to the current situation but contact with the people at large is of utmost importance. Are you doing this or are you merely dedicating time only to the great number of those around you? Remember they are there to please you but this factor will not help you make any inroads which are urgently needed due to the enormous divide that exists within the party.  One has to concede that this divide or better still, splits have become even more pronounced in the last years. They are there, yet you have done nothing about this problem.

It is always a mistake to simply focus on only the upper echelons of hierarchy. It is really important to get everyone’s viewpoint in order to have a realistic picture of the Party. This is something that you are not doing. You must be aware of what I mean because you don’t even speak with your deputies!

At this point it is pertinent to point out that one of the serious mistakes you are committing is to dedicate time and giving inordinate importance to those who campaigned for you, used you for their own agenda and put you there, but they can just as easily remove you whenever they decide to do so.

Wanting, the leader will find a hidden wealth of information concerning the Party’s dysfunctionality at every level, most notably from those at shop floor level, who at the end of the day constitute the mass of  the voters.