[.ca] Journey to the Emerald City (ISBN 073520358X)

Begin the journey...:
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 Mathisen Vice President, General Manager Orbital Transportation Management Systems

Accelerate the transition:
We were faced with the task of bringing two companies together and creating a common culture focused on results. We've been able to build a single orgranization--one team in terms of the way we think and act--in a very short period of time. Frankly, I didn't think it was possible to accomplish this transition in the timeframe in which we've been able to do it. People are on board. They are excited, and they are focused on creating a culture of accountability. The process you offered is clearly laid out in your book, Journey to the Emerald City, and has had a profound and lasting impact on our organization. I can highly recommend the Partners In Leadership process to any organization focused on accelerating the creation of a common culture where people are accountable to both think and act in the manner necessary to achieve results. Joe Lima Vice President, Operations Guidant Corporation Cardiac and Vascular Surgery Group

A Must Read:
Journey to the Emerald City is a call to action and a significant help in setting a framework for team actions that produce more effective results. Each of us need to be reminded that the actions we take to get results are based on our experiences and beliefs and that changing those beliefs, although very hard, can greatly influence our results in business and personal life. Journey to the Emerald City is a "must read" for anyone looking to create greater effectiveness in their organization. John Bent Amgen, Inc.

A Beguiling Title...:
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.