Urban sets example for others to follow

State Rep. Diana Urban’s guest opinion, “Confessions of a state rep: ‘We need to be tough and disciplined ... Don’t hold your breath’,” (Jan. 14), was right on the money about the lack of accountability. All of the politicians that I see, including those who tout their “business experience,” shun accountability for both cost-effective results and the process for achieving those results. This includes state commissioners and department heads.

Truth is that most politicians who say that “government should be run like a business” don’t understand what it means. While it sounds good, for them it is really about acting as agents who expand the corporate profit motive.

Coming out of corporate America (Aetna, CIGNA, J&J, and others), where my leadership/management roles included the oversight of organizational effectiveness functions and consulting and leadership coaching, I designed annual performance assessment practices tied to compensation and promotion decisions that were based on both results (what) and the process (how). This is basic management and leadership. People are held accountable. We all had to justify and rectify income/expenditure (budget) variances.

Urban clearly laid out widespread management practices that need to be looked at for fiscal responsibility. We should heed her experience and wisdom. Lucira Jane Nebelung East Lyme