Book Review: The Responsibility Virus

Roger Martin describes the Responsibility Virus manifesting as all-or-nothing thinking when it comes to leadership and responsibility. So when a problem manifests, if the leader succumbs to the effects of the Virus then they dive in and become the "Hero" taking all the responsibility for the problem. At which point, everyone else involved in the system infected with the Virus says "go on then" and steps back.

The Responsibility Virus: stop taking charge or taking orders, and start making critical decisions. by Roger L Martin [amazon.com][amazon.co.uk]

At the start of the book Roger ascribes this to the flight or fight response, then downgrades it to 'fear' and then later provides a belief chain model that works slightly better.
Roger credits the belief system that leads to the cycle as having the following values:

• To win and not lose in any interaction;
• To always maintain control of the situation at hand;
• To avoid embarrassment of any kind; and
• To stay rational throughout.

A chapter on 'Static and Dynamic conservation' of responsibility demonstrates a bit flipping model:

• 'Over-Responsible' ---I give up---> 'Under-Responsible'.
• 'Under-Responsible' ---I'm the only one that can do this--->'Over-Responsible' 

'The Death of Collaboration' defines collaboration as happening when 'we're in charge' and 'two or more individuals share meaningful responsibility for producing a choice'.
Roger provides 4 tools to help overcome the 'Virus':

• The Choice Structuring Process
• The Frame Experiment
• The Responsibility Ladder
• Redefinition of Leadership and Followership

Sadly, like many business books, the book contains fiction. Chapter One starts "Michael is the publisher of Wapshot, a leading national magazine...tra la la". Bad fiction, I tuned out.
I actually put the book aside after a promising introduction upon reading those words. Because the book received such lavish praise when it first came out I visited the author's website and continued with the book only after reading the book chapter "Breaking the Code of Change: Observations and Critique". I suspect that Roger wrote this chapter prior to the book and reads like a short 'I'm still formulating my ideas about this' and I thought it captured aspects of the book very well.
'Breaking the code' doesn't have the four tools, the fiction and the marketable models but it does have a 'sanity' and freshness about it that allowed me to revisit the book.
Roger explains the Choice Structuring Process in the web paper 'Strategic Choice Structuring'

1. Frame Choice - frame an issue as choice with at least 2 independent options.
2. Brainstorm Possible Options
3. Specify Conditions - what must hold true for the choice to remain a good choice
4. Identify Barriers to Choice
5. Design Valid Tests
6. Conduct Analysis
7. Make Choice

The Frame Experiment seems to involve adopting a new set of values and reviewing the situation again.
The Responsibility Ladder diagram shows a ladder with 6 rungs

1. Consider options and Inform other party of decision
2. Provide options and recommendation
3. Generate options and have other party make choice
4. Describe problem and ask for help in structuring it
5. Ask other party to solve and learn for next time
6. Drop problem on desk and signal helplessness

The presented use of the ladder involves recognising where you currently stand on it and engaging in open dialogue about your 'rung based' approach on the current problem.
The Redefinition of Leadership and Followership:

• set their, and others', responsibility through dialogue
• match capabilities with responsibilities
• make reasoning explicit and invite contrary views

The book ends by presenting a process for escaping under or over responsibility:

1. visualise the end result
2. reframe the (over/under)-responsible party
3. pick a burning issue upon which you want to work
4. Engage in a responsibility ladder conversation
5. Use the choice structuring tool to gain comfort
6. Do it and reflect
7. repeat steps 1-6

And then provides chapters suggesting how to apply the tools as a consultant, as a Director board.
I recommend reading the papers on Roger Martin's website and getting a feel for the ideas before diving in to the book.
I find it useful to remember that I don't have all the answers, and more importantly, probably no-one expects me to, so the collaborative approach helps enormously.
Related Reading:

• To the Rescue by Roger Martin
• Action Science: Concepts, Methods, and Skills for Research and Intervention by Chris Argyris, Robert Putnam, and Diana McLain Smith
• Review on InfoQ of The Responsibility Virus