(c) Roger Martin
Roger Martin, Dean of the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, is a Harvard MBA and previously directed Monitor Company, a US strategy consulting firm, where he also established Monitor University. During his long career in corporate consulting, Martin realized that poor decision-making, even when endemic in an organization, actually began at the level of individual behaviour. Framed in this way, the Virus no longer is simply "their problem," but rather it is something in which we are all complicit.One thing that makes the book interesting is its assertion that it really does "take two to tango", and that treatment of the Virus only requires that one party "stop dancing" by using the simple Responsibility Virus tools in conversation. The tools address both the over-responsible and the under-responsible party, and can be applied from either end of the dynamic to start shifting interactions toward true collaboration. Though Martin suggests that the tools can be most powerful when used openly by a whole team, the tools can also be quietly applied by individuals in individual conversations.
Read the InfoQ book review: The Responsibility Virus Helps Fear Undermine Collaboration, by Deborah Hartmann.
Community comments
How to implement?
by Amr Elssamadisy /
Re: How to implement?
by Deborah (Hartmann) Preuss /
Re: How to implement?
by Deborah (Hartmann) Preuss /
NLP?
by Kevin Rutherford /
Re: NLP?
by Deborah (Hartmann) Preuss /
Re: "the new failures will be at the margin of our capabilities"
by Deborah (Hartmann) Preuss /
How to implement?
by Amr Elssamadisy /
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Deb - this obviously sounds like a very interesting book - thank you for the review!
I suppose I will learn the answers to these question by reading the book - but until then:
It sounds like success ultimately resides in the individual. Each individual must use and learn about these tools. Is my reading accurate?
If so, does the book suggest how to do so? All the successful teams I've seen (Agile or not) had great individuals that new how to work together and get things done. Is this a learned ability or an inherited talent?
Re: How to implement?
by Deborah (Hartmann) Preuss /
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"How to implement" is in the 7-step approach mentioned in my review with a link to the book's website that explains a little further.
But how does one start using the Responsibility Virus tools? I'd suggest a book study group, where people can discuss how it applies in their own context, exchange stories about their use of the tools and celebrate/commiserate as appropriate :-)
How to run a book study? Ah, I'm glad you asked!
Joshua Kerievsky of Industrial Logic created the original "Design Patterns" book study groups, in which a group lays out a set of meetings (could be a weekly meeting, lunch, supper) in which they will cover the whole book, and they take turns leading the discussion each week. His approach is inspired by the classical method of seminars conducted at schools like Oxford and St John's College. There's more to it, he documented how to do the whole thing in his Knowledge Hydrant [pdf] patterns (the image is one of drinking from a fire hose, I believe :-)
For real examples of how others have run book reading groups, have a look at the sites for these book studies: Design Patterns, and Fearless Change.
Learning this way does more than build knowledge - it builds teams and fosters collaboration. It's all good.
Re: How to implement?
by Deborah (Hartmann) Preuss /
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Oh, and: yes, application of the solution to the Responsibility Virus is at the level of the individual. However, the author indicates there is synergy to be had in doing it as a group - it helps create a new language for talking more neutrally about responsiblity (rather than just pointing the finger, in the comical image above :-)
NLP?
by Kevin Rutherford /
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Deb - very thorough review, thanks!
It sounds as if the tools rely on NLP (visualizing, re-framing, etc). Do they?
Re: NLP?
by Deborah (Hartmann) Preuss /
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Hi Kevin. NLP isn't mentioned, but I will ask the author if he answers my outstanding email message :-)
Re: "the new failures will be at the margin of our capabilities"
by Deborah (Hartmann) Preuss /
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From the end of the review, above:
I asked Roger about this guess, asking what has he discovered about this since the book was published: