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The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability
Now in paperback, "The Oz Principle" shows how people in business suffer from the same feelings of anxiety and helplessness that beset the characters in "The Wizard of Oz". The authors show how people can move beyond victimization to overcome obstacles, accept responsibility, and rise to new heights of achievement.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1994
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August 6, 2023
This book takes a single point (and a mis-coined one at that): "be accountable--and by accountable we mean be responsible" and beats it to death, resurrects it, and then beats it some more.
The authors acknowledge the dictionary definition of accountability and then redefine accountability as "a personal choice to rise above one's circumstances and demonstrate the ownership necessary for achieving desired results--to See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It." p47. Somehow, I don't see that definition ever making its way into Websters.
This book makes some solid points. However, the essentials of this 222 page book could really be boiled down to a 30-40 page booklet. Here is the essence of the Oz Principle:
1)The authors argue that, today, too many (American) employees are victimized by their circumstance. Even if someone legitimately has done you harm (which, they argue, often isn’t tangibly the case), how will wallowing in your victim status get you what you want? Some excuses that people give when they are held captive (victimized) by their circumstances: I didn’t know, no one told me, I just did what I was told to do, it’s not my job, I didn’t have enough time/money/budget/staff/energy to get it done on time. The following are given as clues of a victim perspective: feeling captive to your circumstance, feeling of lack of control over circumstances, defensiveness, blaming others, focus on what you can’t do instead of what you can do, spending a lot of time talking about things beyond your control, avoiding situations where you may have to report on your responsibilities, spending a lot of time gossiping about or bashing others, pretending not to know that there is a problem or, if you have admitted there is a problem, trying to ignore it in hopes that it will go away or work itself out, spending a lot of time and energy trying to “cover your tail”. The authors call the victim perspective “Below the Line.”
2)They go on to argue that climbing out of the victim perspective in order to get “Above the Line” is a lot of work.
3)The first step to getting Above the Line is to “See It”. Seeing It, they state, takes "Courage". Seeing it means “acknowledging the reality of your situation”. Part of acknowledging the reality of your situation involves being open to, and seeking, feedback.
4)The second step to getting Above the Line is to “Own It”. Owning It takes "Heart". Owning it means accepting responsibility (accountability) for your own role in creating your present circumstance. To own it, you must understand the situation from multiple perspectives. “Such a shift in perspective requires that you replace your victim story with an accountable one…[it] does not mean suppressing or ignoring the victim facts; rather it means seeing the whole story, including the part that may not bode well for your ego”pP97.
5)The third step to getting Above the Line is to “Solve It”. Solving It takes "Wisdom". Solving It means that you constantly ask yourself, “what else can I do to rise above my circumstances and achieve the results I want?” p115. While trying to Solve It, you are invariably going to run into problems. The challenge is to stay Above the Line and not succumb to feelings of victimization, which will drag you below the line—or, more accurately, to quickly realize whenever you are slipping below the line and get back above the line as quickly as possible. Solving It requires the following skills/abilities/focus: Stay engaged/don’t give up; be persistent, constantly ask yourself “what else can I do?”; be open to new ideas/ways—the same old way of thinking is what got you into the situation and therefore is not likely to get you out of it; be innovative; create new linkages, often your solution will depend on forming new relationships and seeking feedback from places you might not normally consider; take the initiative; stay conscious—don’t allow yourself to go into auto-pilot, challenge assumptions, be willing to step outside of your comfort zone.
6)The final step to getting Above the Line is to “Do It”. Doing It takes "Determination" and means accepting full accountability and then following through, making it happen, getting it done. Doing It means accepting full responsibility not just for your desired results, but also for your progress (or lack thereof) toward the desired result. Doing It is how you overcome your circumstances in order to achieve the desired result. Do It should guide not just your current steps, but your future activities as well. Doing It means working constantly to stay Above the Line and to remain conscious of, and avoid, situations that can tempt you Below the Line.
That's it. Really. The rest is just examples, anecdotes, repetition, and summary. The vast majority of the book is spent marketing why the authors’ position is right and why you need never read any other management book besides this one (despite how often they quote other people's management books, including granddaddy Stephen Covey). It annoyed me how self-referential they were throughout the book--'those other organizations, they failed because they didn't implement our system' (take, for example, this gem from page 7: "the quest for greater results has, for too many business organizations, culminated in little more than a series of smokescreens and mirrors because it has failed to follow The Oz Principle..."). It also annoyed me that they seemed to be presenting this like they had just invented apples; I mean, really, who would argue against taking responsibility for the results that you want to achieve. The real difficulty, sometimes, is seeing clearly how to make it happen--even if you have taken responsibility--how do you translate responsibility into the desired results.
I also found the Oz gimmick completely unnecessary, distracting, and at times forced--even to the point of having to tell parts of the story backwards (after all, Dorothy did meet the Scarecrow before the Lion). The examples of Dorothy's supposed journey from victim to owner were not even integrated into the book but were excerpts, typically at the beginning of the chapter or references during the summary. These excerpts did nothing to help me understand the principle the authors are promoting—and, again, who is really arguing against the principle of responsibility in the first place. Plus, they never did explain (even feebly) what "Above the Line" and "Below the Line" have to do with Dorothy-- too many mixed metaphors for me. Also, if Oz is such a great parable for their model (which it isn’t) what are we to learn from the “Witch of the East”, who is crushed by Dorothy’s house (unintentionally, so lets call it Involuntary Manslaughter) and then has her property (the magic slippers) stolen and given to the very person who killed her, or from the “Witch of the West”, who, while still grieving over the sudden loss of her sister, is denied her rightful (as next of kin) claim to her sister’s property, or even from the Great and Powerful Oz himself (who was a sham and a charlatan)? No; it would be far better to abandon this misguided use of Oz. Besides, I am sure that the increased profits from not having to pay trademark fees to the Baum estate alone would significantly increase the profitability of this book and model. The essential true points of this book stand on their own and would do much better without the Dorothy gimmick. The authors repeatedly lament how organizational leaders tends to drift from one faddish, magic-wand, management solution to another; however, I think, by coupling the idea of responsibility with the Oz, instead of sticking with the powerful truth of the basic principle, the authors have just created another fad.
Quotes:
The authors acknowledge the dictionary definition of accountability and then redefine accountability as "a personal choice to rise above one's circumstances and demonstrate the ownership necessary for achieving desired results--to See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It." p47. Somehow, I don't see that definition ever making its way into Websters.
This book makes some solid points. However, the essentials of this 222 page book could really be boiled down to a 30-40 page booklet. Here is the essence of the Oz Principle:
1)The authors argue that, today, too many (American) employees are victimized by their circumstance. Even if someone legitimately has done you harm (which, they argue, often isn’t tangibly the case), how will wallowing in your victim status get you what you want? Some excuses that people give when they are held captive (victimized) by their circumstances: I didn’t know, no one told me, I just did what I was told to do, it’s not my job, I didn’t have enough time/money/budget/staff/energy to get it done on time. The following are given as clues of a victim perspective: feeling captive to your circumstance, feeling of lack of control over circumstances, defensiveness, blaming others, focus on what you can’t do instead of what you can do, spending a lot of time talking about things beyond your control, avoiding situations where you may have to report on your responsibilities, spending a lot of time gossiping about or bashing others, pretending not to know that there is a problem or, if you have admitted there is a problem, trying to ignore it in hopes that it will go away or work itself out, spending a lot of time and energy trying to “cover your tail”. The authors call the victim perspective “Below the Line.”
2)They go on to argue that climbing out of the victim perspective in order to get “Above the Line” is a lot of work.
3)The first step to getting Above the Line is to “See It”. Seeing It, they state, takes "Courage". Seeing it means “acknowledging the reality of your situation”. Part of acknowledging the reality of your situation involves being open to, and seeking, feedback.
4)The second step to getting Above the Line is to “Own It”. Owning It takes "Heart". Owning it means accepting responsibility (accountability) for your own role in creating your present circumstance. To own it, you must understand the situation from multiple perspectives. “Such a shift in perspective requires that you replace your victim story with an accountable one…[it] does not mean suppressing or ignoring the victim facts; rather it means seeing the whole story, including the part that may not bode well for your ego”pP97.
5)The third step to getting Above the Line is to “Solve It”. Solving It takes "Wisdom". Solving It means that you constantly ask yourself, “what else can I do to rise above my circumstances and achieve the results I want?” p115. While trying to Solve It, you are invariably going to run into problems. The challenge is to stay Above the Line and not succumb to feelings of victimization, which will drag you below the line—or, more accurately, to quickly realize whenever you are slipping below the line and get back above the line as quickly as possible. Solving It requires the following skills/abilities/focus: Stay engaged/don’t give up; be persistent, constantly ask yourself “what else can I do?”; be open to new ideas/ways—the same old way of thinking is what got you into the situation and therefore is not likely to get you out of it; be innovative; create new linkages, often your solution will depend on forming new relationships and seeking feedback from places you might not normally consider; take the initiative; stay conscious—don’t allow yourself to go into auto-pilot, challenge assumptions, be willing to step outside of your comfort zone.
6)The final step to getting Above the Line is to “Do It”. Doing It takes "Determination" and means accepting full accountability and then following through, making it happen, getting it done. Doing It means accepting full responsibility not just for your desired results, but also for your progress (or lack thereof) toward the desired result. Doing It is how you overcome your circumstances in order to achieve the desired result. Do It should guide not just your current steps, but your future activities as well. Doing It means working constantly to stay Above the Line and to remain conscious of, and avoid, situations that can tempt you Below the Line.
That's it. Really. The rest is just examples, anecdotes, repetition, and summary. The vast majority of the book is spent marketing why the authors’ position is right and why you need never read any other management book besides this one (despite how often they quote other people's management books, including granddaddy Stephen Covey). It annoyed me how self-referential they were throughout the book--'those other organizations, they failed because they didn't implement our system' (take, for example, this gem from page 7: "the quest for greater results has, for too many business organizations, culminated in little more than a series of smokescreens and mirrors because it has failed to follow The Oz Principle..."). It also annoyed me that they seemed to be presenting this like they had just invented apples; I mean, really, who would argue against taking responsibility for the results that you want to achieve. The real difficulty, sometimes, is seeing clearly how to make it happen--even if you have taken responsibility--how do you translate responsibility into the desired results.
I also found the Oz gimmick completely unnecessary, distracting, and at times forced--even to the point of having to tell parts of the story backwards (after all, Dorothy did meet the Scarecrow before the Lion). The examples of Dorothy's supposed journey from victim to owner were not even integrated into the book but were excerpts, typically at the beginning of the chapter or references during the summary. These excerpts did nothing to help me understand the principle the authors are promoting—and, again, who is really arguing against the principle of responsibility in the first place. Plus, they never did explain (even feebly) what "Above the Line" and "Below the Line" have to do with Dorothy-- too many mixed metaphors for me. Also, if Oz is such a great parable for their model (which it isn’t) what are we to learn from the “Witch of the East”, who is crushed by Dorothy’s house (unintentionally, so lets call it Involuntary Manslaughter) and then has her property (the magic slippers) stolen and given to the very person who killed her, or from the “Witch of the West”, who, while still grieving over the sudden loss of her sister, is denied her rightful (as next of kin) claim to her sister’s property, or even from the Great and Powerful Oz himself (who was a sham and a charlatan)? No; it would be far better to abandon this misguided use of Oz. Besides, I am sure that the increased profits from not having to pay trademark fees to the Baum estate alone would significantly increase the profitability of this book and model. The essential true points of this book stand on their own and would do much better without the Dorothy gimmick. The authors repeatedly lament how organizational leaders tends to drift from one faddish, magic-wand, management solution to another; however, I think, by coupling the idea of responsibility with the Oz, instead of sticking with the powerful truth of the basic principle, the authors have just created another fad.
Quotes:
February 10, 2016
Condescending shit. I was forced to read this book because my company forced us to read - creating a horseshit culture of condescension and lying.
The book uses the motif of The Wizard of Oz to make crappy management points that help provide spineless middle managers with a new arsenal of meaningless buzzzzzwords (the zzz's are intentional).
Going by this rule, anything could be used as a management tool. Have you ever seen Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom? Indy's whip symbolises how employees need to be "whipped" into shape. The temple represents your company culture which if created right can lead to treasure but if not leads to doom. The rickety bridge at the end of the film represents sales targets that are either crossed or will make low-achievers plummet. See? A child could do it. That'll be $50 for my book and another $50,000 for the training course. You're welcome.
The book uses the motif of The Wizard of Oz to make crappy management points that help provide spineless middle managers with a new arsenal of meaningless buzzzzzwords (the zzz's are intentional).
Going by this rule, anything could be used as a management tool. Have you ever seen Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom? Indy's whip symbolises how employees need to be "whipped" into shape. The temple represents your company culture which if created right can lead to treasure but if not leads to doom. The rickety bridge at the end of the film represents sales targets that are either crossed or will make low-achievers plummet. See? A child could do it. That'll be $50 for my book and another $50,000 for the training course. You're welcome.
June 7, 2009
"Take responsibility for your actions". There, I saved you slogging through that. Well I guess there were some amusing real life anecdotes, but the Wizard of Oz analogy did not work for me at all.
April 4, 2011
I agree with much of what this book says, but think the presentation was poor. I despise the use of the term, "victim" or "victim mentality". That phrase reeks of early 80-90s Republican mentality. I do believe in personal responsibility and think, especially in work, that one should always ask, "what can we do," rather than, "who can we blame?" A while back I realized that anything that goes wrong in my department is my responsibility. Even if it is someone else who actually made the mistake. Even if they did it without my permission, the responsibility lies with me. I should have made my position clearer, or spelled out exactly what I wanted. The reason for this is that by laying blame, you don't have to find a REAL solution. It's Jim's fault, yell at Jim, move on. But that doesn't solve the problem. If Jim didn't know that I don't want anyone doing X, then how do I know Carol isn't under that same mistaken assumption?
That is essentially what this book is about. Take responsibility. But by using the terminology "victim mentality", they turned me off over and over again. The podcast "Manager Tools" discussed this same thing in a way that was more accessible. They called it, "owning the inputs". This was specifically for delegating tasks. If you delegate a task to Jim, and Jim doesn't deliver, it's your fault, not Jim's. It's your responsibility to make sure Jim delivers. Every person who has a responsibility in your project is YOUR responsibility. If Hickman has used some emotionally neutral phrase like, "own the inputs", I would highly recommend this book. Since he didn't, I recommend "Manager Tools" and several of the other management books out there.
That is essentially what this book is about. Take responsibility. But by using the terminology "victim mentality", they turned me off over and over again. The podcast "Manager Tools" discussed this same thing in a way that was more accessible. They called it, "owning the inputs". This was specifically for delegating tasks. If you delegate a task to Jim, and Jim doesn't deliver, it's your fault, not Jim's. It's your responsibility to make sure Jim delivers. Every person who has a responsibility in your project is YOUR responsibility. If Hickman has used some emotionally neutral phrase like, "own the inputs", I would highly recommend this book. Since he didn't, I recommend "Manager Tools" and several of the other management books out there.
October 7, 2021
Things this book taught me:
1. Work late and bring your work home
2. Unions are an obstacle to overcome
3. If your house in Florida is hit by a hurricane just move to your vacation home in Hawaii
4. Spend your free time with pro golfers
5. Rupert Murdoch is a role model
6. The gig economy is your fault, now go out and get a third job and shut up about it
Hooray capitalism!
1. Work late and bring your work home
2. Unions are an obstacle to overcome
3. If your house in Florida is hit by a hurricane just move to your vacation home in Hawaii
4. Spend your free time with pro golfers
5. Rupert Murdoch is a role model
6. The gig economy is your fault, now go out and get a third job and shut up about it
Hooray capitalism!
June 18, 2007
loved it ... teaches accountibility in the work place and the value of plain ol' getting things done
May 23, 2018
This is a super long-winded way of saying hold yourself accountable.
Seriously, the book boils down to this: (1) work to understand the situation as it truly is, (2) take responsibility for it, (3) ask “what else can I do?”, and (4) execute.
The course is better because it provides specific tools to give and receive feedback, unites a team under a single objective, and provides a forum to problem solve and commit to action.
The book is too generic to be useful on its own, and the Wizard of Oz analogy is tortured.
Seriously, the book boils down to this: (1) work to understand the situation as it truly is, (2) take responsibility for it, (3) ask “what else can I do?”, and (4) execute.
The course is better because it provides specific tools to give and receive feedback, unites a team under a single objective, and provides a forum to problem solve and commit to action.
The book is too generic to be useful on its own, and the Wizard of Oz analogy is tortured.
December 25, 2017
I listened to the audio version of the book. I was two-thirds of the way through and thought we were coming to the conclusion, and then heard, "next, in part three..." REALLY??
This book is tiresome and never seems to get to the bottom line. The Wizard of Oz comparisons are really lame, too. The jargon used in the book, Above the Line, Below the Line, etc. got on my nerves after awhile, too.
I found very little in the book that I could apply to me personally or to my small business that has five employees. If you like case study after case study of big corporations with lots of big executive name dropping and learning about the authors' high powered consulting gigs, this book might be of interest to you.
If you just a want a simple, concise book on the power of personal accountability, instead I would recommend John Miller's book, QBQ! The Question Behind the Question. It has much better stories, it is much more engaging, and it gets right to the point.
This book is tiresome and never seems to get to the bottom line. The Wizard of Oz comparisons are really lame, too. The jargon used in the book, Above the Line, Below the Line, etc. got on my nerves after awhile, too.
I found very little in the book that I could apply to me personally or to my small business that has five employees. If you like case study after case study of big corporations with lots of big executive name dropping and learning about the authors' high powered consulting gigs, this book might be of interest to you.
If you just a want a simple, concise book on the power of personal accountability, instead I would recommend John Miller's book, QBQ! The Question Behind the Question. It has much better stories, it is much more engaging, and it gets right to the point.
March 23, 2008
What more can I do to rise above my situation? Have I done all I can to solve the problem? If someone else were brought in to deal with this issue, how would they approach it?
Did I follow my solution plan? Do I have to adjust it? Why am I making the adjustment?
Page 210 really helped me realize that I have wasted time at my current job and should have been out looking years ago. I am responsible for staying in a situation which allows others to victimize me. So where to go from here? Out as quickly as possible.
Did I follow my solution plan? Do I have to adjust it? Why am I making the adjustment?
Page 210 really helped me realize that I have wasted time at my current job and should have been out looking years ago. I am responsible for staying in a situation which allows others to victimize me. So where to go from here? Out as quickly as possible.
February 14, 2016
"What else can we do?" INDEED!
Accountability. Such a great word! And sometimes it really happens... From David Schlotterbeck:
"People in the organization owned their circumstances, established their own targets, and made the improvements; and that without me paying any attention to it. This is simply the result of their being more accountable, going at this in a very teamwork oriented fashion, and give each other a lot of feedback on what we needed to change."
Accountability. Such a great word! And sometimes it really happens... From David Schlotterbeck:
"People in the organization owned their circumstances, established their own targets, and made the improvements; and that without me paying any attention to it. This is simply the result of their being more accountable, going at this in a very teamwork oriented fashion, and give each other a lot of feedback on what we needed to change."
November 12, 2017
Mostly old and obvious exhortations to take personal responsibility for results. There was one chapter out of ten that was of value to me.
January 18, 2021
No one should read this book.
Corporate propaganda that is plagued with bloated repetition of the same concept set-ups supported by vague Pollyanna stories. Every example provided should end with, “And they lived happily ever after.”
Essentially you can watch a GIF of Shia Labeouf yelling “Do It” and you’ll get the point.
There’s lots of free passes and hero worship for executives in this book, but for workers, you need to put in extra hours on Saturdays (p. 50) “Amazingly, the implementation team worked into the night on the Saturday before the due date to finish sixteen hours early and come in under budget!” And where were the executives on this Saturday night, the book is silent. But hooray for the workers taking accountability (even though they may not have had the resources to complete the management mandated objectives on time, but that’s the workers’ problem).
No one is going to argue you should take ownership of you and your team’s work, but clearly defined roles and expectations are critical to success. Along with the appropriate resources. And that comes from management. When roles are not defined it becomes very easy for a manager to criticize a worker with, “You saw there was an issue in another team, why didn’t you fix it?” Can the worker say, “Shit boss, It wanted to go home and have a meal with my family, maybe play Yahtzee”? This book argues answers other than, “I’ll get right on it boss!” shows someone acting like a victim.
For years worker productivity has continued to grow while, pay has not kept pace. The current problem in the workplace isn’t that workers aren’t taking accountability for their roles, it’s that they are not being properly compensated. While executive pay has grown so grotesquely it’s astounding these guys don’t walk around in shame and give it back. How could an executive not possibly see the problem in compensation inequality, then Own it, and then Solve it, and Do it?
But this book isn’t really targeted for the worker, it’s targeted for the executive. Because that’s who’s going to buy it. How many workers are pulling this off a store’s bookshelf? Not many, because who wants to read a book that says, “You’re the problem and you need to do more.” It’s more likely they are hearing about this book at work. Maybe their companies are even buying them in mass and ‘encouraging’ them to read it. These three dudes are selling a product. And it’s much bigger than a book. How many pages in this book have some vague nonsense trademarked, “Partners in Leadership” and “Solve It”. These are the types of books that HR purchases an all-day training where you try to sneak out after lunch because you don’t want to work on the weekend. Dear HR, just get me good healthcare and help me on-board people. That’s it.
Accountability is a good thing, but with accountability comes consequence, at least for most non-executives. Workers are afraid of losing their jobs, and their healthcare relies on it. But in the author’s eyes workers should be “Free of the illusion of safety …” which I found funny. I don’t know any worker that feels their job is safe. Bottom line, this book was not needed, wanted, or necessary, but I guess the authors need healthcare too.
Lastly, there are a handful of books in my life I did not finish. This may have been the first book I felt compelled to throw in the trash (recycling of course). No one should read this book.
Corporate propaganda that is plagued with bloated repetition of the same concept set-ups supported by vague Pollyanna stories. Every example provided should end with, “And they lived happily ever after.”
Essentially you can watch a GIF of Shia Labeouf yelling “Do It” and you’ll get the point.
There’s lots of free passes and hero worship for executives in this book, but for workers, you need to put in extra hours on Saturdays (p. 50) “Amazingly, the implementation team worked into the night on the Saturday before the due date to finish sixteen hours early and come in under budget!” And where were the executives on this Saturday night, the book is silent. But hooray for the workers taking accountability (even though they may not have had the resources to complete the management mandated objectives on time, but that’s the workers’ problem).
No one is going to argue you should take ownership of you and your team’s work, but clearly defined roles and expectations are critical to success. Along with the appropriate resources. And that comes from management. When roles are not defined it becomes very easy for a manager to criticize a worker with, “You saw there was an issue in another team, why didn’t you fix it?” Can the worker say, “Shit boss, It wanted to go home and have a meal with my family, maybe play Yahtzee”? This book argues answers other than, “I’ll get right on it boss!” shows someone acting like a victim.
For years worker productivity has continued to grow while, pay has not kept pace. The current problem in the workplace isn’t that workers aren’t taking accountability for their roles, it’s that they are not being properly compensated. While executive pay has grown so grotesquely it’s astounding these guys don’t walk around in shame and give it back. How could an executive not possibly see the problem in compensation inequality, then Own it, and then Solve it, and Do it?
But this book isn’t really targeted for the worker, it’s targeted for the executive. Because that’s who’s going to buy it. How many workers are pulling this off a store’s bookshelf? Not many, because who wants to read a book that says, “You’re the problem and you need to do more.” It’s more likely they are hearing about this book at work. Maybe their companies are even buying them in mass and ‘encouraging’ them to read it. These three dudes are selling a product. And it’s much bigger than a book. How many pages in this book have some vague nonsense trademarked, “Partners in Leadership” and “Solve It”. These are the types of books that HR purchases an all-day training where you try to sneak out after lunch because you don’t want to work on the weekend. Dear HR, just get me good healthcare and help me on-board people. That’s it.
Accountability is a good thing, but with accountability comes consequence, at least for most non-executives. Workers are afraid of losing their jobs, and their healthcare relies on it. But in the author’s eyes workers should be “Free of the illusion of safety …” which I found funny. I don’t know any worker that feels their job is safe. Bottom line, this book was not needed, wanted, or necessary, but I guess the authors need healthcare too.
Lastly, there are a handful of books in my life I did not finish. This may have been the first book I felt compelled to throw in the trash (recycling of course). No one should read this book.
October 28, 2016
The Oz Principle offers advice on how to be more accountable in one’s life. The book is divided into three major sections.
Part I: This is an overview of the path toward accountability, a yellow-brick road, if you will. This section divides accountability from victimization by a line. Being accountable is above the line, and taking the victim role is below the line.
Part II: This part develops the steps above the line to full accountability, emphasizing the characters met upon the yellow-brick road. First is the Lion, who gives the courage to see the road to accountability. Next is the Tin Woodsman, who gives the empathy or heart to own the problems and see all sides. Third is the scarecrow, who offers the wisdom to solve the issues. Finally Dorothy gives a person the will to put the solution into action. I gave a presentation on this part to the staff & faculty.
Part III: This part extends personal accountability into a plan to aid the company around you. Glinda is about making above the line thinking (staying on the road) a habit. The Emerald City is about taking your entire corporation with you. The final chapter, over the rainbow, is about typical tough problems.
All in all, it was more about the line than the yellow-brick road. The characters were just thrown in there - the book taught me that I could just take a movie/book, assign some characteristics to the characters, and write a book on leadership. The book really was not all that good. It had a few good tidbits of advice, but most of the book was padding, padding, and more padding - oh, and we better give it a theme, so let's mention some characters at the start and end of a chapter - without actually analyzing the book the characters are from and why they are relevant to the discussion.
I wasn't impressed with this book at all.
Part I: This is an overview of the path toward accountability, a yellow-brick road, if you will. This section divides accountability from victimization by a line. Being accountable is above the line, and taking the victim role is below the line.
Part II: This part develops the steps above the line to full accountability, emphasizing the characters met upon the yellow-brick road. First is the Lion, who gives the courage to see the road to accountability. Next is the Tin Woodsman, who gives the empathy or heart to own the problems and see all sides. Third is the scarecrow, who offers the wisdom to solve the issues. Finally Dorothy gives a person the will to put the solution into action. I gave a presentation on this part to the staff & faculty.
Part III: This part extends personal accountability into a plan to aid the company around you. Glinda is about making above the line thinking (staying on the road) a habit. The Emerald City is about taking your entire corporation with you. The final chapter, over the rainbow, is about typical tough problems.
All in all, it was more about the line than the yellow-brick road. The characters were just thrown in there - the book taught me that I could just take a movie/book, assign some characteristics to the characters, and write a book on leadership. The book really was not all that good. It had a few good tidbits of advice, but most of the book was padding, padding, and more padding - oh, and we better give it a theme, so let's mention some characters at the start and end of a chapter - without actually analyzing the book the characters are from and why they are relevant to the discussion.
I wasn't impressed with this book at all.
October 5, 2023
TL;DR
The 1994 bible on accountability.
Summary
When people take personal ownership of their organization's goals and accept responsibility for their own performance, they become more invested and work at a higher level to ensure not only their own success, but everyone's.
The purpose of this book is to shift the reader’s personal dialogue from "who can I blame?" to "what can I do." This is done by continually staying Above the Line in one's thinking and behavior.
1. See it (takes courage, Lion)
2. Own it (takes heart, Tin man)
3. Solve it (takes brains, Scare crow)
4. Do it (takes determination/resolve, Dorothy)
Review
This was an soul-pricking and therapeutic read. I was able to acknowledged that I was operating Below the Line in past roles by expecting my managers to better define my job role. The themes in this book also reinforce an ego-shrinking lesson I'm really resonating with right now: it's more important to get it right than to be right.
Other Book Recommendations
- Start with Your People by Brian Dixon
- Above the Line by Urban Myer
The 1994 bible on accountability.
Summary
When people take personal ownership of their organization's goals and accept responsibility for their own performance, they become more invested and work at a higher level to ensure not only their own success, but everyone's.
The purpose of this book is to shift the reader’s personal dialogue from "who can I blame?" to "what can I do." This is done by continually staying Above the Line in one's thinking and behavior.
1. See it (takes courage, Lion)
2. Own it (takes heart, Tin man)
3. Solve it (takes brains, Scare crow)
4. Do it (takes determination/resolve, Dorothy)
Review
This was an soul-pricking and therapeutic read. I was able to acknowledged that I was operating Below the Line in past roles by expecting my managers to better define my job role. The themes in this book also reinforce an ego-shrinking lesson I'm really resonating with right now: it's more important to get it right than to be right.
Other Book Recommendations
- Start with Your People by Brian Dixon
- Above the Line by Urban Myer
November 18, 2014
Basic premise: don't be a victim but take hold of your situation and ask what you can do to improve it. I'm not sure the book adds a whole lot of detail beyond that simple statement, but it pretends to. Lots of vague examples of companies and business people who were sinking then choose to stop complaining and start fixing and "voila!" their business turned around. Each section begins with a quote from Frank L. Baum's book The Wizard of Oz to illustrate that just like Dorothy, The Scarecrow, the Tinman, and The Lion, you have what you need inside you to solve your problems. You don't need a wizard to change your circumstances, just a Good Witch like Glinda perhaps to guide you on your way. A bit gimmicky, because they don't really borrow too much from the classic story, but it got me to read the book, so I guess it works (as a gimmick).
All the examples are very business-world, not so identifiable for me.
All the examples are very business-world, not so identifiable for me.
January 18, 2018
I like the basic premise of this book - don't play the blame game, keep things positive, have ownership and accountability in your life. The book feels dated and they spend a lot of time making it seem like people should put up with poor treatment because maybe they overlooked a detail or didn't get something in writing. At the end they managed to talk about managers treating employees well and how to speak effectively to your staff, but it just felt like feelings and personal opinions were not okay and I greatly disagree with that. Constantly referring to someone as a victim and acting like a victim when they were treated horribly felt really wrong. All in all, I got a negative vibe from this and felt like it was speaking to executives and not everyone. Again the basic premise is good but a little more humanity would have been appreciated.
May 11, 2016
I'm not usually big on business books. I often find that they try to push their "bigger-better idea" over common sense. This book, The Oz Principle, seems to push common sense over the bigger-better deal. It realizes that by depending on someone else's methodology to get results, one basically enables a new scapegoat when it fails. Instead, this book says to throw out the scapegoat, stop whining and realize personal accountability AND potential - and that combination is important. This is one of the few business books that I haven't rolled my eyes at, and I am willing to give these ideas a try.
July 16, 2020
This is a solid book on individual and organizational accountability. I read it with my co-workers. There are tons of solid examples from famous businesses that showcase a pretty simple (and, biblical) truth: if you play the victim, make excuses, and don't work hard, you won't achieve success. If you take responsibility, hold yourself and others accountable, and work hard, you will.
July 31, 2020
This book will be a perennial re-listen for me; I can tell. (I've already listened to it twice.)
The book basically says that many/most/all of us have been victimized at some point in time and to some degree. It asks the question, “Could things be better?” And, then, says “Okay, let’s take a look at steps to help improve the future.”
The book basically says that many/most/all of us have been victimized at some point in time and to some degree. It asks the question, “Could things be better?” And, then, says “Okay, let’s take a look at steps to help improve the future.”
March 4, 2018
I like the message of accountability, but I couldn't stand the delivery of this book: very redundant, and feels patronizing because it approaches the topic as though it's revolutionary when it's common sense.
June 15, 2012
Asking someone else to tell you what to do represents nothing more than an advanced for of excuse making because it stems from the victim’s desire to prepare his or her excuse before ever taking action.Never make excuses. *Joint accountability! “If this company is to achieve it’s goals, we have got to become boundaryless. Boundaries are crazy. The union is just another boundary, an dyou have to reach across the same way you want to reach across the boundaries separating you from your customers an dyour suppliers and your colleagues.”—Jack Welch. Invite candid feedback from everyone on your own performance. Never let anyone hide the truth from you. Readily acknowledge reality, including all it’s problems and challenges. Don’t waste time and energy on things you cannot control or influence. Commit yourself 100% to what you are doing, and if your commitment begins to wane, strive to rekindle it. Own your own circumstances and your results, even when they seem less than desirable. Recognize when you are dropping below the line and act quickly to avoid traps of the victim cycle. Delight in daily opportunity to make things happen. Ask yourself, “What else can I do to rise above my circumstances and get the results that I want?” 1. Stay engaged in the process and find solutions. 2. Persist. 3. Think Differently. Always solicit and strive to understand perspectives other than your own. 4. Create New Linkages. Solutions require innovative approaches 5. Take iniative. 6. Stay conscious, overcome autopilot mode. Work on your attitude and behavior. Recognize that you cannot control everything.
January 8, 2017
Accountability - A personal choice to rise above one's circumstances and demonstrate the ownership necessary for achieving desired results - to See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It.
This definition presents the backbone of The Oz Principle's philosophy which Roger Connors follows through to unpack. This book presents the fix to feelings of grumbling and victimization that we feel as employees, leaders, and other circumstances in which we pursue a desired outcome of some sort.
The approach laid out in this book presents a much-needed approach to our problems. Especially in today's society full of attitudes of entitlement, The Oz Principle aims to help us see over the mess and chart our own course.
This definition presents the backbone of The Oz Principle's philosophy which Roger Connors follows through to unpack. This book presents the fix to feelings of grumbling and victimization that we feel as employees, leaders, and other circumstances in which we pursue a desired outcome of some sort.
The approach laid out in this book presents a much-needed approach to our problems. Especially in today's society full of attitudes of entitlement, The Oz Principle aims to help us see over the mess and chart our own course.
January 18, 2018
I really liked this book. The premise was strong and the examples were meaningful. I like the questions at the end of each chapter and there was clear guidance as to how to use the principles taught.
January 21, 2018
Follow the Yellow Brick Road...
March 29, 2023
This book feels dated. While the principles of accountability were certainly good I'm not sure it needed to be explained in 250+ pages and shoehorned into the Wizard of Oz analogy.
The book seemed not to understand how systemic issues work. There were just too many examples given of people who were victimized in an almost dismissing/mocking way: Here's a guy who is mad at fast food for making him unhealthy (there are legitimately people who, because of living situation, transportation, work schedule, and the community they live in, are unable to access anything other than fast food). Here's a woman who feels like she's not rising as fast as she could in the business world because she's a woman and puts time into caring for her children (um...that's a thing).
The solution always provided was "be accountable, own that you're probably doing something wrong, and work to change it". To be clear there are many situations where that definitely will help, and at the end of the day sometimes individual accountability is all we can do, but to ignore the fact that some people can't make change smarts a little bit too much of meritocracy than I was cool with.
The book seemed not to understand how systemic issues work. There were just too many examples given of people who were victimized in an almost dismissing/mocking way: Here's a guy who is mad at fast food for making him unhealthy (there are legitimately people who, because of living situation, transportation, work schedule, and the community they live in, are unable to access anything other than fast food). Here's a woman who feels like she's not rising as fast as she could in the business world because she's a woman and puts time into caring for her children (um...that's a thing).
The solution always provided was "be accountable, own that you're probably doing something wrong, and work to change it". To be clear there are many situations where that definitely will help, and at the end of the day sometimes individual accountability is all we can do, but to ignore the fact that some people can't make change smarts a little bit too much of meritocracy than I was cool with.
August 16, 2021
The central idea: individuals, teams, and leaders need to take responsibility and conduct themselves not as victims, but as folks with agency and the power to make positive change. That message is truly important and excellent. I found the parts that were focused on individual mindset most helpful and applicable.
There are some parts of this book that haven't aged well. The business case studies feel old and far less relevant nowadays (2021) vs. when the book was first published (1994). There are some really dated moments sprinkled throughout that make me feel this book really needs an update.
There are some parts of this book that haven't aged well. The business case studies feel old and far less relevant nowadays (2021) vs. when the book was first published (1994). There are some really dated moments sprinkled throughout that make me feel this book really needs an update.
November 22, 2020
Not a very good book about accountability and responsibility.
I cannot recommend this book.
I cannot recommend this book.
July 9, 2020
Years ago, a friend of mine suggested I read the Oz Principle. As of today, I’m finally made it to the final chapter (which I’ll read tomorrow). I have to say that overall, I’ve enjoyed the anecdotes and concepts that the authors discuss a lot.
That said, one of my favorite books is the Question Behind the Question or QBQ (as we affectionately call it), so I wondered how these two books would intersect. Short answer? At times, they very much overlap. The main difference seems to be that while the QBQ strives to be simple to the point of taking an hour or less to read, the Oz Principle, while relating very similar concepts, can be incredibly dense at times. The two main questions of accountability that permeate both books are very similar: “What more can I do?” versus “What else can I do?” Additionally, the Oz Principle asks us to use “trigger words” like “above the line”, “below the line”, “see it”, “own it”, “solve it”, “do it” which, once taught to a group, can help people hold themselves accountable. In the past, I’ve used this concept with QBQ with prior teams. Whenever we would notice “below the line” behavior, one of us would invariably ask, “What more can I do?”
Furthermore, in the later chapters of the Oz Principle, the authors go a step beyond personal accountability and focus on how to help others be accountable as well. Since the QBQ doesn’t cover this aspect, I loved this more in depth study of what helping others be more accountable looks like. HINT: It doesn’t mean hitting somebody over the head with the Bat of Accountability. Instead, a more nuanced approach has to be used since, as the authors remind us, we can’t control anyone but ourselves. If you only have time to check out a little of the book, I recommend chapters 8 and 9 where many of the concepts from the rest of the book are summarized.
If you are looking for a great book on accountability for not only you, but your organization, to help you escape victim thinking, I highly recommend checking out the Oz Principle.
Thanks, Miles Ford, for this recommendation!
That said, one of my favorite books is the Question Behind the Question or QBQ (as we affectionately call it), so I wondered how these two books would intersect. Short answer? At times, they very much overlap. The main difference seems to be that while the QBQ strives to be simple to the point of taking an hour or less to read, the Oz Principle, while relating very similar concepts, can be incredibly dense at times. The two main questions of accountability that permeate both books are very similar: “What more can I do?” versus “What else can I do?” Additionally, the Oz Principle asks us to use “trigger words” like “above the line”, “below the line”, “see it”, “own it”, “solve it”, “do it” which, once taught to a group, can help people hold themselves accountable. In the past, I’ve used this concept with QBQ with prior teams. Whenever we would notice “below the line” behavior, one of us would invariably ask, “What more can I do?”
Furthermore, in the later chapters of the Oz Principle, the authors go a step beyond personal accountability and focus on how to help others be accountable as well. Since the QBQ doesn’t cover this aspect, I loved this more in depth study of what helping others be more accountable looks like. HINT: It doesn’t mean hitting somebody over the head with the Bat of Accountability. Instead, a more nuanced approach has to be used since, as the authors remind us, we can’t control anyone but ourselves. If you only have time to check out a little of the book, I recommend chapters 8 and 9 where many of the concepts from the rest of the book are summarized.
If you are looking for a great book on accountability for not only you, but your organization, to help you escape victim thinking, I highly recommend checking out the Oz Principle.
Thanks, Miles Ford, for this recommendation!
September 22, 2017
So I'm being asked in this review pane "What did you think?"
What I think is … Why didn’t I read this sooner? I hear much too often we need to “hold people accountable” or “who is accountable for that” but what is accountability and what simply blame? Why is the person who is asking the question, never the one accountable? The authors of the Oz Principle use L. Frank Baum’s classic Oz Chronicles as the metaphor for personal accountability.
First part of the book, the authors spend time discussing what the difference between “Below the Line” or Victim thinking is verses “Above the Line”, or accountable thinking is. Starting and ending with an Oz metaphor, the authors sprinkle in real life examples of what above and below the line thinking looks like. They set the challenge to the reader to change their own personal views of accountability.
Part 2 of the Oz Principle discusses in depth each of the 4 steps to accountability - See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do. Again the authors sprinkle in Oz and real life stories of people who practiced each of these traits and much to their chagrin, those who didn’t practice these qualities.
The final section of Oz Principle focuses on spreading accountability throughout your organization. Unlike in Oz where Glenda could wave a wand, there are many pitfalls discussed to help create a culture of accountability. Although this section focuses on the organization verses the individual, there are many great take-away points if you lead people.
I believe that this audiobook is going to go on my annual “re-read” list along with other classic titles such as: How to Win Friends and Influence People, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Goal, and The Go-Giver. Accountability is definitely a concept worthy of frequent refresher!
What I think is … Why didn’t I read this sooner? I hear much too often we need to “hold people accountable” or “who is accountable for that” but what is accountability and what simply blame? Why is the person who is asking the question, never the one accountable? The authors of the Oz Principle use L. Frank Baum’s classic Oz Chronicles as the metaphor for personal accountability.
First part of the book, the authors spend time discussing what the difference between “Below the Line” or Victim thinking is verses “Above the Line”, or accountable thinking is. Starting and ending with an Oz metaphor, the authors sprinkle in real life examples of what above and below the line thinking looks like. They set the challenge to the reader to change their own personal views of accountability.
Part 2 of the Oz Principle discusses in depth each of the 4 steps to accountability - See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do. Again the authors sprinkle in Oz and real life stories of people who practiced each of these traits and much to their chagrin, those who didn’t practice these qualities.
The final section of Oz Principle focuses on spreading accountability throughout your organization. Unlike in Oz where Glenda could wave a wand, there are many pitfalls discussed to help create a culture of accountability. Although this section focuses on the organization verses the individual, there are many great take-away points if you lead people.
I believe that this audiobook is going to go on my annual “re-read” list along with other classic titles such as: How to Win Friends and Influence People, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Goal, and The Go-Giver. Accountability is definitely a concept worthy of frequent refresher!
April 6, 2018
Frontloading: I read this as an assignment for work, assigned by a new senior leadership member who I’ve really struggled to understand.
Dated in a lot of ways, I could not stand this book when I started it. Many of the allegories and assertions about living “Above the Line” are problematic and ignore the realities of socioeconomic and class struggles that weigh on people.
As I progressed, the message did start to sit with me better as the mantras got to me:
"I’m frustrated that I have to read this."
“What else can I do?”
"Create questions for discussion in my work group that challenge the assumptions I don’t agree with."
The message of internal locus of control versus external locus of control is really what the principle gets at, without saying it even once. It’s powerful in the sense that psychologically, people who believe they are in control of their circumstances will be more successful in addressing them.
Dated in a lot of ways, I could not stand this book when I started it. Many of the allegories and assertions about living “Above the Line” are problematic and ignore the realities of socioeconomic and class struggles that weigh on people.
As I progressed, the message did start to sit with me better as the mantras got to me:
"I’m frustrated that I have to read this."
“What else can I do?”
"Create questions for discussion in my work group that challenge the assumptions I don’t agree with."
The message of internal locus of control versus external locus of control is really what the principle gets at, without saying it even once. It’s powerful in the sense that psychologically, people who believe they are in control of their circumstances will be more successful in addressing them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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