Employees are anxiously awaiting what happens next as President Jim Yong Kim’s World Bank reform agenda moves from a flurry of proposals down an uncertain path toward implementation.
Already, 43 reform proposals submitted by staff working groups have caused internal message boards to light up with anonymous comments that run the gamut from enthusiastic support to deep skepticism. The rampant speculation is testing the leadership’s ability to manage employee expectations.
The bank’s long-awaited transformation took a sudden, unexpected turn last month when Kim sent an internal memo to announce the impending departure of two managing directors with more than 50 years of bank experience between them — Caroline Anstey and Pamela Cox.