What You Measure Is What You Get

Years ago, I went to hear the chairman of Nabisco speak on the subject, “Managing a Successful Business.”

Since the weather was bad, I left the house early and arrived early to find the chairman and I were the only two people in the room.

This, I thought, was the opportunity of a lifetime to ask a question that would change my life forever. So I asked Mr. Nabisco: “If you could give me just one piece of advice today, what would it be?” Without hesitating he said, “Never start a project that cannot be measured, because what you measure will be what you get.”

Although it took a number of years for me to appreciate his advice, reading this issue of Community Leader reminds me of one of my great frustrations with Cleveland leadership over the years.

Our city has always been good at announcing goals it wants to accomplish, but it has been bad at informing the community of its progress accomplishing them.

The stories of the initiatives of new County Executive, Chris Ronayne; The Greater Cleveland Partnership; Team NEO; JumpStart; and JobsOhio are by any measure worthy. However, the question next year will be: What has happened to them?

The problem of a community knowing where it is and where it is going is as old as our country. It was Thomas Jefferson who said, “The best way to ensure a responsive government is to give citizens full information through the channel of public papers that penetrate the whole mass of the people,” and then he could not help adding, “and be capable of reading them.”

With the explosion of media into hundreds of sources of information, it is hard to envision what a common community voice would look like. But there should be no question about the importance of knowing at all times — Where We Are, Where We Have Been, Where Are We Going.

Executive Publisher Lute Harmon Sr.

Executive Editor Terry Troy

Managing Editor Jennifer Bowen Sima

Senior Editor Ann-Marie Vazzano

Managing Art Director Rayanne Medford

Art Directors Tom Abate

Lecia Landis

Megan Rosta

Contributing Writers Joanne Cahill

Rhonda Crowder

Christina Easter

Alex Emerson

Linda Feagler

Lee Fisher

Pat Perry

Jill Sell

Lynne Thompson

Terry Troy

Contributing Artists Ken Blaze

Erik Drost

Associate Publisher Denise Polverine

Vice President, Advertising Paul Klein

Senior Account Sarah Desmond Executives Tiffany Myroniak

Account Executive Julie Bialowas

Operations Manager Corey Galloway

Production Manager Alyson Moutz Cowan

Audience and Events Manager Jennifer Roberts

Chief Financial Officer George Sedlak

LEADERSHIP // BY TERRY TROY