{"id":325651,"date":"2025-07-11T19:12:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T23:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=325651"},"modified":"2025-07-11T19:12:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T23:12:16","slug":"we-have-general-objectives-what-about-specific-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/opinion\/columns\/counterbalance\/we-have-general-objectives-what-about-specific-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"We have general objectives. What about specific goals?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A little over thirty years ago, I entered the world of management by objectives with colleagues much more experienced than I in these \u201ctechniques\u201d\/\u201ctechnologies\u201d\/management tools.<\/span><\/p>\n

Management by objectives then became a modern option for the management of all organizations in Cuba.<\/span><\/p>\n

During those years, its use expanded; almost all businesspeople and leaders of virtually all institutions were trained, from the most strategic and decisive enterprises for the country to the simplest of all entities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Managing under the philosophy of management by objectives became the prevailing trend, almost a fad; later, it became the norm.<\/span><\/p>\n

A group was created within the Ministry of Higher Education to address this issue, along with a group of professors tasked with assisting and evaluating the quality of the process and objectives in each of our ministries.<\/span><\/p>\n

After institutionalization came bureaucratization; then, popularization.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this way, Management by Objectives (MBO) began to disintegrate in our hands, losing the virtues recognized in the texts that addressed management problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

An unknown program<\/b><\/h3>\n

The 10th Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba brought us the news that the Government Program to correct distortions and relaunch the economy \u2014 <\/span>which we are unaware of even though it was approved more than a year ago <\/b><\/a>\u2014 has <\/span>ten general objectives<\/span><\/a>, which I list below:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Advance the implementation of the Macroeconomic Stabilization Program.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Increase and diversify the country\u2019s external income.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Increase national production, with emphasis on food.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Advance the resizing and development of the socialist state enterprise and the other economic actors in their complementary role.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Advance the improvement of strategic management for territorial development.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Advance the improvement of government management.<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Consolidate and develop social policies, guaranteeing protection for individuals, families, households and communities in vulnerable situations.<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Advance the implementation of general directives aimed at preventing and reducing crime, corruption, illegality and social indiscipline.<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Implement the government program to recover the National Electric Power System (SEN).<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. Manage science and innovation, social communication and digital transformation to boost development spheres and improve government management.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I hope, I imagine, I suppose…<\/b><\/h3>\n

    It\u2019s very good to have a program. I assume this is the result of a consensus reached among a group of officials, that it has been discussed in the relevant bodies of the Party \u2014 the Central Committee, the Political Bureau \u2014 and the National Assembly, especially its Economic Affairs Committee, as well as in the Council of Ministers.<\/span><\/p>\n

    I imagine the discussions in each of these bodies have been tremendous, not only because of the complexity of a program of this type under any circumstances, but also because of the difficult situation in our country, where it must be implemented.<\/span><\/p>\n

    A commendable result would be a program that can identify the \u201cmain directions,\u201d establish the appropriate sequence, and provide the necessary consistency and coherence between the various components to ensure a minimum guarantee of success.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Why isn\u2019t it made public?<\/b><\/h3>\n

    What I ask myself again is, if it already exists, if it is the product of a consensus among the country\u2019s highest leadership bodies, why isn\u2019t it made public?<\/span><\/p>\n

    Isn\u2019t it the people who, in addition to carrying it forward, will have to face\/endure\/suffer its consequences?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Well, we don\u2019t know the program, but we have what are called general objectives, mentioned above.<\/span><\/p>\n

    I remember that Dr. C. Alexis Codina, who was first my dean and later my colleague, professor at the Faculty of Economics and first director of the Center for Management Techniques Studies at the University of Havana, emphasized two basic principles of management by objectives in one of his articles, \u201c<\/span>Rescatando la direcci\u00f3n por objetivos (DPO). En un nuevo contexto<\/span><\/a>\u201d (Rescuing management by objectives (MBO). In a new context).<\/span><\/p>\n

    The first is that MBO focuses on results, previously defined in terms of objectives; the second is that people feel more motivated and committed when they know in advance what is expected of them, in terms of results, than when it is presented in ambiguous terms.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Knowing the government program<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n