Analysis of the Economic Advisory Council

Essay by loliver19University, Master'sA+, April 2004

download word file, 4 pages 5.0

An advisory council to the President of the United States can be an important and vital tool that could help shape policy for years to come. Therefore, task of putting together an effective council is of great importance. The initial emphasis on building a cohesive and productive group is to find members who are motivated to work within the group, are experts in their field and are effective at communicating within the group environment. Cohesiveness is a very important factor that will eventually be one of the key factors that determines if the group is very successful or just gets by. Within a group like the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA), it is important to avoid groupthink. Forming an effective council takes hard work and lots of homework, but the dividends of a successful team are immeasurable.

Some of the initial criteria that I would use to form an economic advisory group for President Bush would be to find individuals that are at the top of their fields.

Of course, at least one of the members should be an economist, since this is an economic advisory group, but the other members could be leaders in business or banking. After this initial selection process is complete, then an interview stage would follow to see who really wanted to be on the council and who did not want to participate. Members of the council have to truly want to work toward the goals set forth by the President.

After the first two criteria are met, then the real selection process begins. Candidates would be rated on their communication skills and communication backgrounds. Successful participation in a collaborative effort in the past, though not conclusive, shows that there is an ability to work within a group environment. Communications within the group is probably...