In the business world, it’s said that the best managers measure what they truly value. It’s true in the public sector, too, where a growing number of states, cities and counties use computerized metrics to track performance and make department heads more accountable.

Nothing focuses an employee — public or private — like knowing what the boss thinks is important. …

Openness is not in the DNA of too many public agencies, and that’s why news organizations have proclaimed this Sunshine Week. Citizens need to know how many doors are being shut by people who claim to be working on their behalf.

It needn’t be so. Some governments instruct public servants to err on the side of openness. In Columbus, Mayor Michael Coleman’s administration carefully tracks record requests, and new Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald promises to do even better, monitoring how long the county takes to respond.

When the boss starts asking about that, you can bet everyone will take notice.

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer