More professional atmosphere imposed on Ignatieff's office

[Clintonista2]

He's called Michael by his friends, Iggy by irreverent pundits, Iffy by his critics.

But to those who work most closely with him every day, the federal Liberal leader now goes by yet another moniker: Mr. Ignatieff.

And, by the way, they have to wear professional office garb while they're at it.

It wasn't always that way.

Until his new chief of staff, Peter Donolo, arrived on the scene last month and shook up Mr. Ignatieff's inner circle, the leader's office was a more laid back workplace.

Mr. Ignatieff's closest aides were friends who'd recruited him to politics from academe and helped run his leadership campaigns. They addressed him informally by his first name and tended to dress casually.

Mr. Donolo, an outsider to the Ignatieff team but an old pro from Jean Chrétien's days as prime minister, is said to have realized there was a problem the first time he walked into the office and found staff addressing him as “Mr. Donolo” and the leader as “Michael.”

The manner of address, he told others at the time, was indicative of a larger problem: a team without structure or discipline, a workplace of buddies where everyone felt equally in charge but no one was responsible for actually delivering on goals and objectives. In short, a “frat house” kind of atmosphere.

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Mr. Donolo, who'd seen first hand the success of the more structured approach preferred by Mr. Chrétien, told Liberals the leader's office needed to establish some defined lines of authority.

“When you're cas(ual) and unstructured, you get cas(ual) and unstructured results,” says an insider.

“There needs to be structure, there needs to be authority . . . and there's accountability that comes from that so that if something doesn't get done, it's somebody's fault, not everybody's fault, just as it's somebody's responsibility to make sure it gets done, not everybody's responsibility.”

Mr. Donolo set about creating a more traditional, hierarchical organization chart and a more professional atmosphere, starting with the more formal work wear and manner of referring to the leader.

“It's about raising the level of professionalism, raising the game, creating expectations,” says the insider.

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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/more-professional-atmosphere-imposed-on-ignatieffs-office/article1434066/

[HeresyLives]

1. About time!

No wonder they've been drifting and goofing!

[Spazito]

2. Good! There certainly seemed to be a lack of discipline in their message....

a lack of boldness in their actions, a hesitancy in taking the fight TO Harper instead of waiting for them to attack first. I hope Mr. Donolo is bringing back the Chretien "in your face" style of politics.