Journey to the Emerald City: Implement the Oz Principle to Achive a Competitive Edge Through a Culture of Accountability

Culture is made up of experiences, beliefs, actions, and results. Experiences foster beliefs. Beliefs drive actions. Actions produce results. Results become new experiences.

Management must first identify the results that the organization must achieve.

Our experience suggests that most organizations need to focus more on a transition, not on a transformation.

Alignment does not mean agreement with a decision. Rather it means agreeing to move in the same direction once a decision has been made, whether or not we agreed with that decision.

Finally, there is our view of true accountability, which as you will see calls for everyone throughout the entire organization to take accountability for the results of the company. That is another characteristic of a Culture of Accountability. Leaders need to seek and be open to the perspectives of others.

The thing to do in such a situation is to become accountable. The Steps to Accountability are See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It, and they are essential to moving Above the Line and staying there. These steps are defined by specific behaviors and attitudes that, when applied to specific beliefs and actions, create a Culture of Accountability.

Too often, leaders attempt to change the way people act without changing the way they think, that is, their beliefs.

The four Steps to Accountability are See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It.

A Culture of Accountability is a place where everyone continually asks, "What else can I do to achieve results, attain objectives, and accomplish goals?"