By Jennifer Kluge
November 20, 2008
What if we renamed the title of Governor to CEO? Would that change how the role of governor is viewed? Now granted, we are all business people at Corp! and our readers include many CEOs so we are a bit biased. We all understand that it’s lonely at the top, hard decisions need to be made and we are held accountable for results. As executives, our every move is scrutinized. Proper team communications are necessary to ensure efficiency.
For starters a CEO has to answer to shareholders and stakeholders — in this case, the people of Michigan. Financial income is tied to the business profits, or pay for performance models for most businesses. That would be interesting, tie the income of our politicians to the results their team derives. How about a spot bonus for an unemployment rate below 4 percent? Our state reps’ income could be tied to the number of jobs created. Our sales department would sell Michigan to other states, bring in companies, entertainment, tourism, etc. Our marketing team would promote our Michigan brand and execute advertising of our Michigan products. Our HR department would review the state’s benefits expenses and would also recruit and retain the best administrators possible. The CFO would manage the budget of the state, keep it on target, manage cash flow, advise when cuts would be necessary. Oh yes, we run those pesky board meetings and are held accountable for our actions.
Ok, this is fantasy politics, but it really makes you wonder.
Where would you start to improve Michigan given the economy, the automotive industry, rising health care costs, increased tax liability? With all the talk about Governor Granholm possibly leaving the State of Michigan to assist President Elect Obama, the job of CEO might be open. So, as business people, what would you do?
