Everything changes, so that everything remains the same!

Storm Kristin and the extremely rainy days that followed devastated the country, particularly affecting the districts of Coimbra and Leiria. In this context, when asked, a representative from Civil Defence and Protection denied any failures in their service. Days later, the Minister of Internal Administration, who has since resigned, stated that the situation was extremely complex and that there was much to learn. Any attentive reader knows this. What they may not know is that studies have been conducted on the relationship between the quality of management processes and such attitudes. When comparing countries, there is a strong negative correlation between the self-sufficiency of those who believe they have nothing to correct or learn and good management practices. Conversely, in countries where managers are more (self)critical and believe there is room for improvement, we find exemplary management processes and continuous improvement, thus perpetuating international leadership. These results apply to private companies as well as public entities. Cultural differences reflect in productivity and GDP per capita: as you might have guessed, generally, the wealthier countries are those where managers are less complacent, more committed to self-improvement, and do not seek systematic excuses outside the business context. Complacent stagnation tends to be associated with protectionist institutional frameworks that limit competition, with the State acting as a zealous defender, ready to support so-called struggling sectors, with no other criterion than trying to maintain the status quo. What is, is good! Evidently, it can always get worse when responsibilities in Public Administration are assigned not based on merit, but on party affiliation. This is not the path to State reform. If all this sounds familiar, it is because it is... A good sign came from Graça Carvalho, who, upon learning of an extravagant appointment, took a shortcut. The exception that proves the rule?