In The Oz Principle, Connors, Smith, and Hickman brilliantly use the “Wizard of Oz” analogy to discuss a business philosophy designed to empower individuals and organizations to overcome unfavorable circumstances and achieve desired results. This philosophy can be encompassed in one word: RESPONSIBILITY.

The principle of the same name is based on the spirit of personal and organizational responsibility. It explores the root cause of an organization’s impediments to exceptional performance and productivity, and provides great insight into how to rebuild a business from the bottom up, emphasizing the fine lines between success and failure. The Above The Line, Below The Line methodology is the driving force behind the Oz Principle.

The Oz Principle: Get Results Through Accountability

Like Dorothy’s quest from the Wizard of Oz for enlightenment, individuals and organizations are also looking for the wizard who will save them from the diseases that plague their workplace. However, the magician is just a distraction, with novel business philosophies and managerial fads that will only create a layer on top of the ugly truth that needs to be revealed. When the core problem is not addressed, the ills

eventually resurface and the business returns to its sorry state.

Victim thinking or failed accountability

When a company suffers from poor performance or unsatisfactory results, people from top management to the front line start pointing fingers, making excuses, rationalizing and justifying, rather than doing something to alleviate the situation. They foolishly claim that circumstances have made them victims, that the events are completely beyond their control, and that they should not be blamed for the company’s current troubles. 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 will find the Accountability Steps including in chronological order: See It, Adapt 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 Means to formulate solutions to remedy the situation; and, as a culminating step, Do It orders the

Practical application of the solutions identified.

Down the line is where the self proclaimed victims play

The blame game. Here, paralyzing attitudes like Wait and See, Confusion / Tell me what to do, It’s not my job, Ignore / Deny, Finger pointing and Cover your tail are rampant. Although most people in this dimension are weak in accountability, 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 the rut.

A simple solution to victimization

Individuals and organizations below the line languish in

self pity until they get caught up in the “I’m a victim”

mentality and find it difficult to break free from the vicious cycle. Accountability offers a very simple, yet difficult choice to follow: “You can either get stuck or get results.” So stark in its simplicity that most people don’t realize that the ball has always been in their court.

The power of individual responsibility: moving yourself

Over the line

The first step to accountability is to acknowledge the problem.

It takes a lot of courage to admit that you are trapped in a

difficult situation. Most people, however, do not see

reality as it is because they choose to ignore it or

They accept the situation as the status quo and continue

with that.

To begin the march through the Steps to Responsibility, you must first muster the courage to: a) recognize when you are below the line; b) realizing that staying below the line not only ignores the real problem, but leads to increasingly poorer outcomes; and c) recognize and accept reality as the first step towards accountability.

Gathering the courage to see it will lead to the next step,

Own it. Here, you must have the heart to possess the

Circumstances that you have also recognized in the See It step.

as the results that will come from the course of action that you

I 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 stubborn situation. In addition to creating solutions, Solving It also involves foresight to determine the worst possible scenario that could happen and being prepared to fight it head-on.

Having solutions is not enough if you neglect the practices

application. You can’t do it unless you do it yourself

responsible not only for immediate circumstances but also for future achievements. With this, you are empowering not only yourself, but also your organization.

It’s very easy to back down below the line, especially if you don’t accept full responsibility for the situation and the future. Many people are afraid of being responsible because they fear the risks associated with it. However, know that without taking the big leap, you will never get anywhere.