Journey to the Emerald City: Achieve a Competitive Edge by Creating a Culture of Accountability

Journey to the Emerald City has been a very good read. We live in a time that no one wants to take responsibility for themselves or their work. As this book brings to light we lose so many rewards that praticing accountability brings to our lives.

In Journey to the Emerald City, Connors and Smith present the principles that make organizational culture THE competitive edge for the 21st Century. They describe in useful, applicable, and concrete ways how to blast away boundaries, create ownership, and drive performance by creating a culture of accountability. Applying the process found in Journey will give any organization a competitive edge!David MathisenSr. Vice President & General ManagerOrbital Transportation Management Systems

For me, the authors wrote a solid "how to" book on developing a culture within an organization that gets results. Practical and easily understood approaches to fashioning cultural change for achieving results are presented point by point within the pages of this work. For example, several issues addressed are:-exposing the fallacy of activities for the sake of activities with no appreciable results -recognizing that every organization has a culture and how to transition that culture into one of effective accomplishment and results-oriented accountability at every level and with every member of the organization -conveying an agenda on how to make that transition and sustain the new results-oriented culture It is all here in understandable and ready-to-apply form. While the authors don't pretend that this work to change culture is simple or can be accomplished overnight, they do provide a very focused and forthright view of what is important to work on and maintain as progress is made.If your organization could be achieving better results or needs to meet promised goals, this is an easy read that contains critical ideas, notions and concepts on how to get there fast.

Due to the recent successes and significant accomplishments of Orbital Transportation Management Systems (TMS), I want to provide you with an update on the cultural transition of TMS. In June 2001, TMS began the Journey to the Emerald City. What a process! The material and practical exercises led each of us to evaluate ourselves individually as well as how we related to each other. We ended with a renewed vigor and commitment to make TMS a world-class organization. And most importantly, as the organizations leaders, we were aligned around a new culture. Well, here we are seven months later. Today we are a different organization. The organizational boundaries that prohibited our progress are gone. The indifference to one another's problems have been replaced with cross-functional ownership. The disparate views of how TMS works have been replaced with a set of TMS specific beliefs that guide our actions. And most importantly, we are aligned to hit our results.2001 was the best year in the history of TMS since its inception. I can confidently say that without our cultural transition we would not have been as successful in hitting our financial goals for 2001.David MathisenVice President, General ManagerOrbital Transportation Management Systems

In 1998, the authors wrote The Oz Principle around the concept that "an organization will perform at its highest potential if, and only if, each of its members assumes personal accountability for achieving its results." Thus, Conners and Smith emphasize a corporate culture that is based on personal accountability, with leaders, goals, tasks, teams, and every aspect of organizational life connected to that theme.I will admit to being put off by the title and the cover. Wizard of Oz? Dorothy and her red shoes? The Cowardly Lion? Do I have time for fables and games? There are some mentions of Frank Baum's classic, some quotes, and some relationships like explaining that managers don't have magic. Overall, however, this book is a solid management book on changing organizational culture. And that's a vital issue for a lot of companies today. The book is organized into three sections whose titles give good insight into the value and flow of the text: Understanding Company Culture, Shifting to a New Culture, and Accelerating Culture Change. The ten chapters explain the concepts and a process for moving forward in an organized, results-oriented fashion. The book is filled with practical approaches that can open a company to achievements that have been trapped inside by a dysfunctional culture. The key is accountability that starts at the top of the organization with an open and complete style of leadership. No games: communication. The authors show us how to change the way people think and act. They show how to get people involved in a positive way so transformation can occur. Culture change is a journey, a journey that can be taken at an agonizingly slow pace, a normal flow (whatever that is), or moved to a higher level of velocity and enthusiasm. Graphics and an index enhance the book's value, which is far beyond the connection to the Oz story.You'll learn from consultants who have "been there" and achieved results. The knowledge you gain will enable you to achieve some change in your organization based on what these men have learned and share in this book.