News Journal:Trump promised he’d hire “only the best people.” How’d that work out?

What a year! Last January, people who voted for Trump were celebrating the inauguration of the man who campaigned on promises of becoming an exceptional business CEO in the White House, a first-rate manager who would hire “only the best people.”
Putting politics and policies aside, I think it is fair to say at this point that Donald Trump may be the worst manager who has ever become President. I have a special reason to regret feeling that way: he graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania two years after I got my MBA there in 1966. Who knew (does that “who knew” resonate?) you could learn so little at a place I greatly respect?
I remember three management skills in particular Wharton taught me. First, having the self-discipline to focus on long-term goals and not be distracted by daily pressures to change course. Second, managing subordinates by giving them regular one-on-one performance reviews, avoiding criticizing them in public.
And third, something that was part of every lecture or book on management I ever came across, the ability and willingness to learn from your own inevitable mistakes.
Self-discipline? Please. Just read the off-the-wall tweets that contradict those from the day or week before.
Avoiding public criticism of subordinates? Ask Jeff Sessions about that.
Learning from mistakes? Hard to do if you never, ever admit to making one.
After one full year, let’s take a look at how President Trump scores on what is probably the most important ability of a successful CEO — choosing superior managers, “the best people,” and keeping them with you for the long haul.
One of the first photos taken in the Oval Office after Inauguration Day has become famous. It shows President Trump at his desk, with four key advisers standing before him. They were:
Reince Priebus, Chief of Staff. The most important hire for any President. Trump chose the chair of the Republican National Committee, a man who had no experience in government. His departure was announced in a July 28 tweet, after just six months on the job. The average length in office of the previous 29 chiefs of staff was almost two and a half years.
Michael Flynn, National Security Advisor. The second most important job in the White House. He lasted 24 days. The average tenure of previous National Security Advisors was over two and a half years.
Steve Bannon, Chief Strategist. A new job title in the White House, and one that lasted only until August 18, less than seven months.
Sean Spicer, Press Secretary and Acting Communications Director. He got off to a rocky start (“the largest crowd in inaugural history! Period!”) and never recovered, resigning on July 21 after six months. In his last six weeks, he also served as Communications Director, succeeding Mike Dobke, who had resigned after four months. Then there was Anthony Scaramucci for six days and…you get the idea.
All the best people.
Goodbyes too to Health Secretary Tom Price, who resigned in September trying to explain government charges of $400,000 for personal charter flights. And Sebastian Gorka, a deputy assistant who left in August and, the press office announced, was no longer allowed access to the White House grounds.
I don’t have the space to get into “best people” like Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who didn’t know until he took the job that the primary purpose of the department was to oversee our nuclear arsenal. And don’t get me started on best relatives like Jared and Ivanka Kushner.
I read quite a bit about how General Kelly, who has so far lasted five months as Chief of Staff, has brought some discipline to the White House. Maybe so, but I also read a lot about now many key White House aides are planning early departures this year — and about how much difficulty Kelly is having finding qualified replacements willing to serve in a White House managed ultimately by Donald Trump.
I guess we should all hope that he finds some, but my own hopes for a less chaotic new year in Washington are slim.
Ted Kaufman is a former U.S. Senator from Delaware.