We all know the theory, namely that multiple citizens form or join a political party because they share common beliefs and ideals and aim to participate in elections to gain power. Once they have succeeded in obtaining power, they will implement their policies and govern the country. So far, it sounds clear and tangible… except that things are much more complicated, far more complicated.
First and foremost, when we refer to a political party, we must bear in mind that we are talking about people, many people, both those who are members of the party and those to whom the party addresses (the electorate). And precisely because we are talking about people, this makes things not so straightforward, because people are capable of pleasantly surprising us but also disappointing us on various occasions. Members of political parties, in their desire to reach power, often have a hidden agenda, in addition to their declared intentions, which are usually presented and displayed in a civilized and admirable manner but may not always be fair and ethical.
Starting from this observation, we can affirm that a significant foundational pillar of political party organizational management concerns human resource management. Like any organization, regardless of its nature, political parties need a set of rules and criteria based on which new members are selected and admitted. Assuming that today’s new member is tomorrow’s prime minister, party members, especially their leaders, must realize that they bear a tremendous responsibility when admitting new people into the political endeavor.
Governing means understanding and being intellectually, morally, and professionally prepared, and a primary criterion that should exist in the party membership selection process concerns identifying the intellectual and character traits that adherents must possess to join political organizations. This profiling activity can be conducted using internal or external resources. Regardless, this process needs to take into account as much data and information as possible, including but not limited to: academic qualifications (including grades earned during studies), knowledge of foreign languages, professional experience, hobbies, family situation, openness to new technologies, conversational and argumentative skills, attire, the individual’s opinions on controversial subjects, etc. All this information can be gathered from various sources, such as the CV, letter of intent, electronic footprint (online activity, social media presence), interviews conducted with those responsible for selection, and reviews provided by people who know the candidate.
However this profiling activity is conducted, it’s crucial to consider the compatibility that the candidate might have with the internal activities of the political organizations and their guidelines. Additionally, concurrently with the profiling activity, the construction of a political career plan must also be undertaken. This political career plan is necessary because often, good people who are both moral and professional don’t integrate as they should, and their qualities are not highlighted positively. As a result, they often take a step back and focus on their personal lives. As mentioned earlier, today’s new member is tomorrow’s prime minister, and the country needs skilled individuals. Therefore, political organizations must pay attention to these matters.
But we will delve deeper into these topics in the second part of this article.