Five Things President Obama Needs to Do Immediately to Help America

Jeevan Sivasubramaniam Posted by Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, Managing Director, Editorial, Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.



MIT Sloan Professor of Management, bestselling author, and considered to be one of the world's top thinkers in organizational matters, Edgar Schein knows group dynamics and motivation. The overarching principle of effective help is that the helper wants to help and is aware of where help is not only needed, but will be accepted if offered. Given those conditions, here is what Obama should do right away:

1) Stimulate the economy by providing a jobs program.

Nothing is more demoralizing to the citizenry than being out of work or having meaningless work. The country needs a jobs program to be implemented immediately.

2) Begin work with government and private healthcare providers, practitioners, and industries to work toward comprehensive health care programs for all.

Nothing is more frightening than having health problems without the means or access to address them. Nothing drives families into debt quicker than medical bills. Not only must costs be curtailed reasonably, but the country needs to a more positive approach that stresses health maintenance over just treatment.

3) Start doing the footwork and research to broker a peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The conflict has always been there but lately has become expecially bloody and needing of resolution as soon as possible. Locate where the core pain is for both parties and provide positive leadership to create a program that is motivated by the need to resolve that pain. This will lead to a mutually beneficial, two-state solution.

4) Work with economists to establish quantifiable ways to measure overall progress.

A jobs program will stimulate the economy, but we also need to re-engineer or revamp the controls and systems of checks and balances to insure that the people know where the money is going and so that the money will go where it is needed.

5) Begin rebuilding our international reputation as reliable partners in the global fight against terrorism and environmental and atmospheric deterioration.

Our ways of dealing with terrorism and environmental pollution have limited effect and do not inspire other nations to partner with us. Multiple helping relationships must be built with our European, Asian and South American allies to contend with these issues on a global scale because they are global problems and not just national problems. It is imperative that especially in this arena help should only be offered where it is needed. Unsolicited help quickly leads to imperialism.

Are there any that should have been on this list that weren't? Do you have a list of top five things the president should start focusing on now? Please add your feedback and comments below.