What Solution(s) exist(s) for the CPDM Party in the USA and in Cameroon---The New Deal

By Sam Esale

     After my recent long, poignant and profound dissection of our political Party CPDM/CPDM-USA, I'd like to go a little further to shed more light in the dark corners of our Movement. For it is one thing to criticize, but something else completely, to offer constructive suggestions or best practices to help move our organization forward, especially here in North America.

     This information is for those loyal militants who want take advantage of the opportunities available on the ground, to help the CPDM-USA, move in the right direction through growth. It is also for CPDM-USA Leaders, Managers and Supervisors, commonly known as Section President or potential Presidents, Sub-Section Presidents and Branch Presidents. And for ease of reading and comprehension, my Seminar will be truncated in topics, sub-topics and abridged. The aim here is to help revitalize, energize, excite and rejuvenate the base of CPDM-USA, and turn this organization into a magnetic force to be reckoned with in North America, the Diaspora and our Country Cameroon.

     Today's topic is about Goal Setting and chain of command synergy. The most important thing in any organization is the ability of the leader to cast a clear Vision for the group. For example, we are in 2012;

1) Where do you see CPDM-USA 5 years from today? 10 years from today?

2) What RESOURCES do you have at your disposal to accomplish that VISION?

     You see comrades, the role of a good leader is to cast a clear vision and then find the most effective and efficient way to realize that vision. That is the nature of the responsibility of a SECTION PRESIDENT, whose vision ought to be similar to the VISION of the Party as a whole. That is conformity. However, INNOVATION and ADAPTATION are very important ingredients in CREATIVITY and RESULTS. Today's leaders have to THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. In a competitive political environment, our Leaders have to be INNOVATIVE. They are invited to TEST new ideas or SEEK new and better ways to produce whatever they have as a VISION.

     The difference between the Section President and the Sub-Section President is akin to the relationship between a Company Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Department Manager. The CEO casts the VISION and the Manager EXECUTES the PLAN. The Manager is more detail oriented. He sets the GOALS to make the VISION come true. He plans, organizes, directs, controls and sometimes leads. Sub-Section Presidents are more in touch with the Grass Roots of any organization than the Section President or CEO. So, the Section President needs the COLLABORATION of the Sub-Section President to achieve the VISION of the Organization. The Sub-Section President, who performs the functions of a manager, employs a set of STRATEGIES to help accomplish the MISSION set by the Section President. TEAM WORK

     To reach the GOAL set by the Section President or CEO, the Sub-Section President or Manager will require the benevolence of a Supervisor or Branch President. The Branch President or Supervisor is the closest link between the Organization and the grassroots or members (militants, since that is how it is popularly referred to in the CPDM party). The Branch President, as a Supervisor, transforms what is in THEORY into PRACTICE. The Supervisor uses all the TACTICS available in the organizations arsenal or tool-box, to bring DREAMS or GOALS or VISION or MISSION to reality. It is just as simple as the OPERATION in an assembly line. The Supervision does not operate in a vacuum. He has oversight from the Manager or Sub-Section President, who also works in collaboration with the CEO or SECTION PRESIDENT. What did I miss?

     Good Leadership requires that all three levels operate in unison. All three levels need to read from the same play-book. TEAM-WORK is the KEY to the smooth functioning of any good organization and it is difficult to be a Leader if you cannot be a good TEAM-PLAYER. Where the Leader fails to cast a clear vision, the whole organization suffers. Where the Manager fails to set realistic, challenging and attainable GOALS, the group suffers. And where the Supervisors fail to implement the Strategies and Tactics to realize the Goals set at inception, the whole organization suffers. Our success as an Organization is MEASURED by the level at which we have REACHED the GOALS we set. The promotion or selection or election of leaders ought to be based, to a large extent, on the level of commitment to attaining or reaching the Organizational GOALS. Each candidate must be able to demonstrate the contribution they have made to the GOALS set by the leadership of the Party. Success must be measurable in context, and GOALS and Objectives are standard metrics used in measuring success. GOALS are our barometers.

     Next time we will examine the pros and cons of our current electoral process. Some believe that the idea of the "Electoral College" for the selection of Party Leadership is old and ineffective. The suggestion of a general Election Process for Section Leadership calls to question the significance of the "electoral college" concept.