When Is Your Midterm Election?

This article isn't really about politics, but there is a positive message about Obama at the beginning.
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Triggered by the upcoming mid-term elections, President Obama is assessing his change strategy, shuffling his leadership team, and getting ready for the next two years of his administration. If we put aside the political cacophony that accompanies this process, and view it strictly through an organizational lens, it's a constructive set of activities: taking stock of what's working and what's not; reading the pulse of customers (citizens) and partners; resetting priorities; injecting new talent; and re-energizing the organization for the work ahead.

Most companies are not forced by an election to push the reset button every two years — but imagine if they did. What if all managers had fixed terms and needed to be reappointed based on their performance? Would it lead to more honest feedback from customers and subordinates, and more frequent strategic reviews? Would it make managers more accountable for results and more willing to build strong teams? Or would it encourage managers to play it safe rather than taking risks that might reduce their chances of reappointment?

Although not all managers are elected officials, organizations do have electoral rhythms. There are cycles for financial reporting, planning, and budgeting; as well as specific times for capital investment, information technology, and talent decisions. To some extent these activities function much like elections — they give us pause and force thoughtful assessment and planning.
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http://blogs.hbr.org/ashkenas/2010/10/when-is-your-midterm-election.html