I have read The Oz Principle several times over the years. It simply and effectively isolates personal accountability as the key factor in personal and organizational success. The power of this book is the "stickiness" of the concepts. The authors enhance an old idea of being "Above the Line" or "Below the Line". Below the line we engage in the blame game. We ignore the reality of issues and opportunities, we avoid them, we blame others for them, etc. Above the Line, we "See It" - we see the situation and our real ability to influence or change either that situation or its impact on us. We "Own It" - we own our opportunity to be an agent in changing the outcomes of the challenge - either how it plays out, or at least how we will respond to it. We "Solve It" - we find solutions. And finally, we "Do It" - we implement the solutions.
We are not bad, mean, or evil, if we go below the line, we are just unproductive. The goal is to recognize when we are below the line more quickly, and then take the "Steps to Accountability" - we See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It.
The "Results Pyramid" is also a powerful visual and simple to understand and communicate. The Oz Principle is largely about the individual. The next book by the authors, Change the Culture, Change the Game, deals with the power of this principle throughout an organization. Their latest book, How Did That Happen? sorts through how to hold others accountable. All three are powerful books that help us learn the art of accountability that does not include beating each other up when things go wrong.
All three are highly recommended reads!
