In The Oz Principle, Connors, Smith, and Hickman brilliantly use the “Wizard of Oz” analogy to discuss a business philosophy aimed at empowering people and organizations to overcome unfavorable circumstances and achieve desired results. This philosophy can be summed up in one word: ACCOUNTABILITY.
The eponymous principle is based on the ethos of personal and organizational responsibility. It explores the root cause of an organization’s impediments to exceptional performance and productivity, and provides insight into how to rebuild a business from the bottom up, emphasizing the fine line between success and failure. The Above the Line, Below the Line methodology is the driving force behind the Oz Principle.
The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Accountability
Like the Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy’s search for enlightenment, individuals and organizations are also searching for the wizard who will save them from the diseases that plague their workplace. However, the wizard is just a distraction, with new business philosophies and management fads that will only layer on the ugly truth that needs to be revealed. When the core problem is not addressed, the ills
finally resurfaces and the business returns to its sorry state.
Victim Thinking or Failed Accountability
When a company performs poorly or results are unsatisfactory, members of senior management all the way to the front line start pointing fingers, making excuses, rationalizing and justifying, instead of doing anything to alleviate the situation. They foolishly profess that circumstances have made them victims, that events are completely out of their control, and that they are not to blame for the company’s current problems. It is always something or someone else, never themselves.
Above the line, below the line
A fine line separates failure and success, greatness and mediocrity.
Above the line, you’ll find the steps to accountability that include in chronological order: See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It. The first step, See It, means acknowledging the problem; To own it is to take responsibility for the problem and the results; Solve It means formulating solutions to remedy the situation; and, as a culminating step, Do It orders the
practical application of the identified solutions.
Below the line is where the self-proclaimed victims play
The blame game. Here, crippling emotes like Wait and See, Confusion/Tell Me What to Do, Not My Job, Ignore/Deny, Point the Finger, and Cover Your Tail are rampant. Although most people in this dimension have little responsibility, this does not mean that highly responsible people are exempt from falling below the line. They also slip from time to time. The only difference is that they know how to get out of a rut.
A simple solution to victimization
Individuals and organizations Below the line language in
self-pity until we get caught up in “I’m a victim”
mentality and find it difficult to break free from the vicious circle. Accountability offers a very simple option to make, although it is difficult to act on it: “You can get stuck or you can get results.” So austere in its simplicity that most people don’t realize the ball has always been in their court.
The Power of Individual Responsibility: Moving Yourself
Over the line
The first step to accountability is acknowledging the problem.
It takes a lot of courage to admit that you’re stuck in a
difficult situation. Most people, however, cannot see
reality as it is because they choose to ignore it or
accept the situation as the status quo and go with the flow
with that.
To begin the march toward the Steps to Responsibility, you must first summon the courage to: a) recognize when you fall Below the Line; b) realizing that staying Below the Line not only ignores the real problem but leads to poorer and poorer outcomes; and c) recognize and accept reality as the first step to assume responsibilities.
Gathering the courage to See Him will lead to the next step,
own it. Here, you must have the heart to possess the
circumstances you recognized in the See Also step
as the results that will come from the course of action that you
plan to take.
“What else can I do to overcome my circumstances and achieve the results I want?” That is the question you must continually ask yourself when you find yourself stuck in a sticky situation. In addition to creating solutions, Solve It also involves foresight to determine the worst possible scenario that can occur and be prepared to fight it head-on.
Having solutions is not enough if practice is neglected
request. You can’t do it unless you force yourself
responsible not only for immediate circumstances but also for future achievements. With this, he is not only empowering himself but also his organization.
It is very easy to become Below the Line, especially if you do not accept full responsibility for the situation and the future. Many people are afraid of accountability because they fear the risks associated with it. However, know that without taking the big leap, you will never get anywhere.