August 29, 2025 • 21 mins
Accountability transforms organizations, but creating a culture where everyone takes genuine ownership is challenging. In this thought-provoking discussion, John and Greg break down Management by Responsibility (MBR) - the leadership philosophy that revolutionizes how teams approach challenges and results.
At its core, MBR hinges on a powerful premise: individuals are 100% responsible for their experiences and reactions to life events. This isn't about blame, but about embracing the freedom that comes with taking full ownership. We explore the three foundational pillars that make MBR work: internalizing personal responsibility, empowering others to own their roles, and shifting to a solution-focused approach that addresses non-productive behaviors.
What makes this episode particularly valuable are the practical techniques we share for implementation. From fostering self-awareness to establishing clear performance standards, providing constructive feedback, and removing obstacles to success - we offer a comprehensive roadmap. We don't shy away from addressing resistance either, tackling common challenges like fear of consequences and the comfort of the blame game. The wisdom of Admiral Rickover resonates throughout: "Responsibility is a unique concept. It can only reside within a single individual. You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished."
Whether you're leading a small team or an entire organization, these insights will help you create an environment where accountability thrives and excuses disappear. Ready to transform your workplace culture? This episode is your starting point. Share your experiences with accountability in leadership, and don't forget to check out successgrowthacademy.com for more resources on the MBR approach.
Presented by John Wandolowski and Greg Powell
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Well, hello and welcome to our podcast, success
Secrets and Stories.
I'm your host, john Wondoloski,and I'm here with my co-host
and friend, greg Powell Greg,hey, everybody.
And when we put together thispodcast, we wanted to put out a
helping hand and help that nextgeneration and help answer the
(00:35):
question of what does it mean tobe a leader?
Today, we want to talk about asubject that I think supports
that concept.
Okay, about a subject that Ithink supports that concept.
So today we wanted to try tostep back a little bit and talk
(01:00):
about one of my favoritesubjects on BR management by
responsibility and probablygoing back and just reviewing
some of the things that are, Ithink, key points.
Whenever people have asked mewhat is MBR, what does it really
mean?
The most important element ofMBR leadership is the unwavering
belief and the commitment tothe concept that individuals are
(01:23):
100% responsible for theirexperiences and their reactions
in life events, whether theylike the results or not.
This emphasis is basicallypersonal accountability and it
is the cornerstone of Dr Durst'sapproach of MBR and Dr Durst is
the person who created theprogram and we talk about it at
(01:44):
the end of every one of ourpodcasts.
But it's a very good programand it's found on
successgrowthacademycom and werefer to it all the time.
But I'd like to talk a littlebit about the program.
There are three key componentsin order to make management of
(02:06):
responsibility a culture withinyour work environment, and one
of the foundations for the MBRprogram is the first one they
talk about is internalizing thebelief that every leader is
empowered to move beyond theblame game of external factors
that are stopping them frombeing successful, instead to
(02:28):
focus on how they can controltheir own choices, their actions
and their reactions, and thisis that open door in order to
find constructive change andimprovement.
Second is empowering others.
A leader empowers and fosters aculture where individuals take
(02:50):
ownership of their roles andtheir contributions.
I'll put a little caveat on itthat they're also recognized for
the contributions that they do,that you're fostering that
development of the staff thatyou work with.
It empowers them to findsolutions rather than solely
relying on the leader todedicate every step or to
(03:11):
dictate every step in order toget something done.
The third level is to helppeople to understand the
problem-solving approach.
When everyone understands thatthey are responsible for their
behavior and how it impacts theorganization, it shifts the
focus and identifies andaddresses non-productive
(03:32):
behaviors.
That's the challenge Paving theway for achieving
organizational goals to be moreeffective.
So what do these three conceptsmean overall?
Essentially, dr durst'sframework emphasizes that
leaders must first embody thisprinciple of 100 responsibility
(03:53):
themselves to effectively guideand inspire others at the same
time.
This creates the shift.
This is the change in themindset that leads to more
engaging, accountable and,ultimately, more successful
organizations.
Now that all sounds well, buthow do you actually apply these
concepts that will move theneedle to make a change, greg.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
So, john, let's talk about techniques within MBR to
change non-productive behavior.
So the Management byResponsibility framework
changing non-productive behavior.
So the Management byResponsibility framework
changing non-productive behaviorhinges on the fundamental
principle that the individualsare 100% responsible for their
experiences and reactions towhatever life's events occur.
Building on this foundation,mbr offers several techniques to
(04:42):
help individuals and teamsshift away from, let's call it,
unproductive actions towardresponsible and effective
behaviors.
That are broken down to fivebasic concepts.
First concept fosteringself-awareness and ownership.
So there's a behavioralassessment.
Leaders help individuals becomeaware of their non-productive
(05:04):
behaviors by providing veryspecific and measurable and
observable descriptions of whatthose actions are, rather than
focusing on subjectiveinterpretations or personality
traits.
This might involve techniqueslike identifying the triggers
and consequences of the behavior.
Second one encourageself-reflection.
We've talked a lot aboutreflection in some of these
(05:25):
podcasts, right?
Individuals are prompted toreflect on their own choices,
their own actions and reactions,considering the impact their
behavior no one else's but theirbehavior has had on themselves
and the organization.
And finally, promoteaccountability.
Individuals are encouraged totake ownership of their
behaviors and the impact theymay have, moving forward and
(05:48):
moving beyond blaming externalfactors.
This includes identifying areasfor improvement and developing
strategies to address thenon-productive behaviors,
setting clear expectations andcommunication.
So, defining roles andresponsibilities, clearly
articulating the roles andresponsibilities of each
position, along with what theyexpect to performance, is right.
(06:09):
What are those performancestandards?
Help ensure everyoneunderstands what is expected of
them in terms of performance andof behavior.
Establishing measurableobjectives and if you haven't
heard us talk about this, you'vebeen under a rock right
Defining specific, measurable,achievable, relevant and
time-bound we call them SMARTgoals for improvement creates a
(06:31):
clear roadmap for individuals towork towards.
Yes, this is my soapbox Regularfeedback.
Providing consistent andconstructive feedback through
regular check-ins andperformance reviews help
individuals understand theirstrengths and the areas they
have for development.
It also fosters continuousgrowth, not personalities.
(06:58):
Feedback should be specific tothe behavior that needs to
change, to provide concreteexamples rather than general
criticisms or personal attacks.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Yeah.
And the next one, number three,is providing support and
resources.
And again, this is the conceptof MBR, is to help people to
understand this transition, totake responsibility.
One is looking at your trainingand development to invest in
training programs that enhancethe employee skills, knowledge
(07:28):
and increase their ability toperform jobs effectively and
foster a sense of accomplishment.
Mentorships, which are probablyone of those things that a good
organization is always tryingto do, pairing individuals with
experiences and colleagues tohelp them gain the skills, the
confidence, the motivation andfacilitate the adoption of new
(07:52):
behaviors.
The next one is the key that Ihave used a lot in my job
applications for MBR Remove theobstacles that are hindering
somebody from being able to besuccessful, whether it's a lack
of training, whether it's a lackof resources.
Unclear expectations allow theindividual to focus on their
(08:14):
performance by removing theobstacles that are creating that
inability to get the job done.
The next is addressingresistance and maintaining
accountability.
Addressing difficultconversations openly and
directly addresses poor behaviorwith the goal of improvement,
(08:36):
not punishment Our favorite term, greg document everything.
Keeping detailed records ofcommunication, progress reports
and changes made during theimprovement process.
Provides documentation to trackthe progress and for references
if it's needed later in termsof action and I'll put in the
(08:57):
rest of that sentence, in caseyou have to fire the individual,
and that's an unfortunate partof helping people understand
accountability is if they don'taccept it, you may have to let
them go.
That's why documentation iscritical.
The next point is probably moreimportant.
Consider performanceimprovement plans, pips as some
(09:20):
people have often called it.
If an employee's performancedoesn't improve despite efforts,
a PIP can be implemented tooutline specific goals, targets
and to improve within a definedtimeline.
If you don't know about thisprocess, it's worthwhile to take
a look at it, not as being apenalty, but to focus everyone
(09:44):
to help that individual toimprove, and I've seen more
success applying a PIP andhaving that first stage start
and a person turns aroundbecause they realize they've
gone to the point of creating aplan of improvement and you've
now set the guidelines in whichthey'll be judged by, and it's
interesting to see that I'd say50% of the time, maybe 75% of
(10:08):
the time the person turns around.
It's amazing.
Follow through.
If the behavior doesn't changewell, that's the bottom line
You're going to have to let thatperson go.
Doesn't change well, that's thebottom line.
You're going to have to letthat person go and, in cases of
termination, ensure that there'sadherence to the legal
(10:28):
requirements and the ethicalconsiderations, that it's not
personal, that it's related toactually your documentation.
There's that loop coming backagain.
And to haunt us.
Number five prevent futureissues.
If you're using the MBR program,you're not only doing it as a
starting point, but if it's aprogram, it has a future.
(10:49):
By promoting positive andengaging work environments and
fostering the support, you'reproviding a culture where
employees feel valued andappreciated and it can boost
morale and motivation,encouraging continued
productivity and responsiblebehavior.
All those things kind ofinterface and interact.
(11:12):
Regular recognition andappreciation and this one should
have a star by it, but thatwould be appropriate Proactively
recognizing and rewardingdesired behaviors, reinforcing
positive change and motivatingindividuals to continue
contributing to theorganization's success.
And the one that I think isvery important is lead by
(11:33):
example.
Leaders must be responsible fortheir behaviors.
They have to demonstrate acommitment to the principles
that they're trying to promote.
Like NBR, it should be part oftheir culture too.
So applying NBR just exactly?
What are the key points thatpeople have talked about?
Well, there's always number oneresistance to change.
(11:56):
Individuals just don't like toaccept 100% responsibility and
are much more comfortable withthe blame game.
Just, you can't accept it.
They have to takeresponsibility the fear of
consequences, which is reallythe essence of what MBR can
produce.
Employees are hesitant to admitmistakes, their shortcomings,
(12:17):
and feel that they'll bepunished or disciplined or find
negative repercussions.
This is your opportunity.
If there's a fear for them tounderstand that they're part of
the process, to make the changeand make it a positive.
And the next two points, Ithink, talk to that issue.
The next is the lack ofunderstanding.
Some may struggle to grasp thedirection or the distinction of
(12:41):
what it means in terms ofresponsible and accountable, and
they fail to comprehend thattheir actions influence their
own outcomes or ownership.
To put it simply, inconsistentleadership.
Or ownership, to put it simply,inconsistent leadership.
If leaders don't fully embodythe principles of MBR or fail to
apply them in a consistentacross all levels of the
(13:03):
organization approach, they canundermine the credibility and
effectiveness of the MBR program.
Weak organizational culture,where the culture tolerates the
lack of accountability,discourages open communication
and prioritizes the blame tocreate a significant obstacle
(13:24):
for the MBR program.
Time and effort requiresdedicated time and effort of
leaders and employees to learn,to practice and to embody these
principles of responsibility andaccountability throughout the
fabric of the organization.
I think that's the key andsometimes I've heard MBR start
(13:47):
at the very executive level, atthe top, and then goes through
the system in terms of goingdown to the day-to-day frontline
employee.
It has to be the wholeorganization complies with
taking responsibility for theresults and MBR really can
change an organization.
Greg.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
So, john, let's talk about overcoming the challenges.
First one education andtraining.
You want to make sure youcommunicate the why, explain the
rationale behind MBR and itsbenefits for both the
individuals and the organizationas a whole.
Clarify responsibility andaccountability.
(14:28):
Make sure everyone understandsthe distinction between
accepting personalresponsibility for one's action
and being held accountable forthe outcomes.
Teach behavioral skills.
Provide training incommunication, conflict
resolution, problem solving,empowering individuals to
address issues constructively.
(14:51):
Number two is leading by example, model responsible behavior.
Right, you be the model.
Leaders must demonstrateaccountability in their own
actions, admitting mistakes andfailures that they've had, and
take ownership of their failurespublicly.
Reinforce positive actions.
Recognize and rewardindividuals who exhibit
(15:12):
responsible and accountablebehavior, and that reinforces
desired actions.
Number three building asupportive and safe environment.
Emphasize learning over blame.
Put much more importance onthat learning piece, on that
(15:36):
learning piece.
Treat mistakes as learningopportunities, encouraging open
discussion and analysis of rootcauses, rather than focus on
assigning blame.
Right, we all know we learn alot more from mistakes, so let's
address them.
Foster psychological safety.
Create an environment whereindividuals feel safe to speak
up, to speak their mind.
They can ask questions in anenvironment where they can share
their concerns without fear ofcriticism or retaliation.
(15:58):
Encourage open communication.
Establish channels for feedbackand dialogue.
So you've got to set those up.
Promote transparency and trustthroughout the organization.
Number four setting clearexpectations and boundaries.
Define clear roles andresponsibilities.
(16:19):
Ensure everyone understandswhat's expected of them
individually and how theircontributions contribute to the
whole as far as overall goals.
Implement accountabilityframeworks.
There's a tool that I've usedin the past John's familiar with
it as well called the RACImetrics.
Used in the past, john'sfamiliar with it as well.
Calls it the RACI metrics and aRACI charter or responsibility
chart matrix is a projectmanagement tool that defines and
(16:39):
clarifies roles andresponsibilities within a team.
So it stands for responsible,accountable, consulted and
informed.
If there's a spot that there'snobody's name, you got to find
somebody to fill in thatresponsibility, to fill in that
role Right.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
And in the jobs that I have done in my past, this has
been the one part that hasreally made the biggest
difference.
You're assigning someone's nameand you're making sure that
they own that name, and I'vealways found that as one of the
biggest challenges for people tounderstand what it means to
take responsibility.
And one of the people that DrDurst would quote and I think
it's a wonderful opportunity toshare Admiral Rickover, the real
(17:28):
heart and soul of the submarineNavy approach that you see to
this day, had a very simplereply to responsibility.
Responsibility is a uniqueconcept.
It can only reside and adherewithin a single individual.
You may share it with others,but your portion is not
diminished.
(17:48):
You may delegate it, but it isstill with you.
You can disclaim it, but youcannot divest yourself of it.
And I really do believe, whenyou talk about implementing
accountability frameworks, thatassignment piece of it for
someone to understand that theyare taking ownership of it.
You're assigning it to them orthey've accepted the
(18:09):
responsibility.
You need to get that task done.
You'd be surprised how manytimes that step is missing and
teams struggle because theynever have taken that step of
implementing.
The next one is an ongoingcommitment and reinforcement.
I think I'm kind of feedinginto that concept of regular
(18:30):
check-ins and feedback tomonitor the progress and provide
regular constructive feedback,to offer support to the
individuals as they journey downthis road of accountability.
Align incentives andrecognition to link rewards, to
recognize a commitment to growthand responsible behavior,
(18:51):
reinforcing the values ofaccountability.
Promote a culture of continuousimprovement.
If you're doing all these steps, you now have the right road
that you want to follow.
Encourage individuals to viewthe challenges as opportunities
of growth, to constantly strivefor a higher level of
(19:13):
accountability andresponsibility.
So in this podcast, we'retrying to give you a little bit
of an idea of the cornerstonesof what it means in terms of
management by responsibility,and then some examples of how
you can actually enhance it andyou can push it along.
You're going to have thoseresistance because, let's face
(19:35):
it, at the end of the day, we'reused to blaming others.
I mean, ask a kid that's fiveyears old who stole the candy
from the top of the shelf.
They're going to blame somebodyelse.
They're not going to raisetheir hand and say it's me.
That environment of looking fora way to avoid responsibility is
something that's actually partof our culture.
(19:57):
It's a culture shift to takeresponsibility, and that's some
of the tools that I have used inorder to make that process a
part of our reality, of helpingpeople change their
organizations.
I hope that helps.
That's part of what we do, andI really enjoy talking about MBR
(20:17):
.
If you like what you've heardon the podcast, I've also
written a book called Buildingyour Leadership Toolbox and it's
available on Amazon and Barnes,noble and other sites.
Part of that process is thiswebsite I'm sorry this podcast
that we do and it's on otherformats like Apple or Google or
(20:40):
Spotify or what you're listeningto.
We appreciate it.
A lot of what we talked abouttoday is about Dr Durst and his
MBR program.
If you want to know more, it'ssuccessgrowthacademycom.
If you'd like to contact us,you can contact me at wando75.jw
at gmailcom, and music has beenbrought to you by my grandson,
(21:03):
so drop me a line, tell me whatyou like, tell me what you would
like to hear and we'll see whatwe can do.
We appreciate your input.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
So, greg, thanks thanks, john, as always and next
time.
Well, hello and welcome to our podcast, success
Secrets and Stories.
I'm your host, john Wondoloski,and I'm here with my co-host
and friend, greg Powell Greg,hey, everybody.
And when we put together thispodcast, we wanted to put out a
helping hand and help that nextgeneration and help answer the
(00:35):
question of what does it mean tobe a leader?
Today, we want to talk about asubject that I think supports
that concept.
Okay, about a subject that Ithink supports that concept.
So today we wanted to try tostep back a little bit and talk
(01:00):
about one of my favoritesubjects on BR management by
responsibility and probablygoing back and just reviewing
some of the things that are, Ithink, key points.
Whenever people have asked mewhat is MBR, what does it really
mean?
The most important element ofMBR leadership is the unwavering
belief and the commitment tothe concept that individuals are
(01:23):
100% responsible for theirexperiences and their reactions
in life events, whether theylike the results or not.
This emphasis is basicallypersonal accountability and it
is the cornerstone of Dr Durst'sapproach of MBR and Dr Durst is
the person who created theprogram and we talk about it at
(01:44):
the end of every one of ourpodcasts.
But it's a very good programand it's found on
successgrowthacademycom and werefer to it all the time.
But I'd like to talk a littlebit about the program.
There are three key componentsin order to make management of
(02:06):
responsibility a culture withinyour work environment, and one
of the foundations for the MBRprogram is the first one they
talk about is internalizing thebelief that every leader is
empowered to move beyond theblame game of external factors
that are stopping them frombeing successful, instead to
(02:28):
focus on how they can controltheir own choices, their actions
and their reactions, and thisis that open door in order to
find constructive change andimprovement.
Second is empowering others.
A leader empowers and fosters aculture where individuals take
(02:50):
ownership of their roles andtheir contributions.
I'll put a little caveat on itthat they're also recognized for
the contributions that they do,that you're fostering that
development of the staff thatyou work with.
It empowers them to findsolutions rather than solely
relying on the leader todedicate every step or to
(03:11):
dictate every step in order toget something done.
The third level is to helppeople to understand the
problem-solving approach.
When everyone understands thatthey are responsible for their
behavior and how it impacts theorganization, it shifts the
focus and identifies andaddresses non-productive
(03:32):
behaviors.
That's the challenge Paving theway for achieving
organizational goals to be moreeffective.
So what do these three conceptsmean overall?
Essentially, dr durst'sframework emphasizes that
leaders must first embody thisprinciple of 100 responsibility
(03:53):
themselves to effectively guideand inspire others at the same
time.
This creates the shift.
This is the change in themindset that leads to more
engaging, accountable and,ultimately, more successful
organizations.
Now that all sounds well, buthow do you actually apply these
concepts that will move theneedle to make a change, greg.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
So, john, let's talk about techniques within MBR to
change non-productive behavior.
So the Management byResponsibility framework
changing non-productive behavior.
So the Management byResponsibility framework
changing non-productive behaviorhinges on the fundamental
principle that the individualsare 100% responsible for their
experiences and reactions towhatever life's events occur.
Building on this foundation,mbr offers several techniques to
(04:42):
help individuals and teamsshift away from, let's call it,
unproductive actions towardresponsible and effective
behaviors.
That are broken down to fivebasic concepts.
First concept fosteringself-awareness and ownership.
So there's a behavioralassessment.
Leaders help individuals becomeaware of their non-productive
(05:04):
behaviors by providing veryspecific and measurable and
observable descriptions of whatthose actions are, rather than
focusing on subjectiveinterpretations or personality
traits.
This might involve techniqueslike identifying the triggers
and consequences of the behavior.
Second one encourageself-reflection.
We've talked a lot aboutreflection in some of these
(05:25):
podcasts, right?
Individuals are prompted toreflect on their own choices,
their own actions and reactions,considering the impact their
behavior no one else's but theirbehavior has had on themselves
and the organization.
And finally, promoteaccountability.
Individuals are encouraged totake ownership of their
behaviors and the impact theymay have, moving forward and
(05:48):
moving beyond blaming externalfactors.
This includes identifying areasfor improvement and developing
strategies to address thenon-productive behaviors,
setting clear expectations andcommunication.
So, defining roles andresponsibilities, clearly
articulating the roles andresponsibilities of each
position, along with what theyexpect to performance, is right.
(06:09):
What are those performancestandards?
Help ensure everyoneunderstands what is expected of
them in terms of performance andof behavior.
Establishing measurableobjectives and if you haven't
heard us talk about this, you'vebeen under a rock right
Defining specific, measurable,achievable, relevant and
time-bound we call them SMARTgoals for improvement creates a
(06:31):
clear roadmap for individuals towork towards.
Yes, this is my soapbox Regularfeedback.
Providing consistent andconstructive feedback through
regular check-ins andperformance reviews help
individuals understand theirstrengths and the areas they
have for development.
It also fosters continuousgrowth, not personalities.
(06:58):
Feedback should be specific tothe behavior that needs to
change, to provide concreteexamples rather than general
criticisms or personal attacks.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Yeah.
And the next one, number three,is providing support and
resources.
And again, this is the conceptof MBR, is to help people to
understand this transition, totake responsibility.
One is looking at your trainingand development to invest in
training programs that enhancethe employee skills, knowledge
(07:28):
and increase their ability toperform jobs effectively and
foster a sense of accomplishment.
Mentorships, which are probablyone of those things that a good
organization is always tryingto do, pairing individuals with
experiences and colleagues tohelp them gain the skills, the
confidence, the motivation andfacilitate the adoption of new
(07:52):
behaviors.
The next one is the key that Ihave used a lot in my job
applications for MBR Remove theobstacles that are hindering
somebody from being able to besuccessful, whether it's a lack
of training, whether it's a lackof resources.
Unclear expectations allow theindividual to focus on their
(08:14):
performance by removing theobstacles that are creating that
inability to get the job done.
The next is addressingresistance and maintaining
accountability.
Addressing difficultconversations openly and
directly addresses poor behaviorwith the goal of improvement,
(08:36):
not punishment Our favorite term, greg document everything.
Keeping detailed records ofcommunication, progress reports
and changes made during theimprovement process.
Provides documentation to trackthe progress and for references
if it's needed later in termsof action and I'll put in the
(08:57):
rest of that sentence, in caseyou have to fire the individual,
and that's an unfortunate partof helping people understand
accountability is if they don'taccept it, you may have to let
them go.
That's why documentation iscritical.
The next point is probably moreimportant.
Consider performanceimprovement plans, pips as some
(09:20):
people have often called it.
If an employee's performancedoesn't improve despite efforts,
a PIP can be implemented tooutline specific goals, targets
and to improve within a definedtimeline.
If you don't know about thisprocess, it's worthwhile to take
a look at it, not as being apenalty, but to focus everyone
(09:44):
to help that individual toimprove, and I've seen more
success applying a PIP andhaving that first stage start
and a person turns aroundbecause they realize they've
gone to the point of creating aplan of improvement and you've
now set the guidelines in whichthey'll be judged by, and it's
interesting to see that I'd say50% of the time, maybe 75% of
(10:08):
the time the person turns around.
It's amazing.
Follow through.
If the behavior doesn't changewell, that's the bottom line
You're going to have to let thatperson go.
Doesn't change well, that's thebottom line.
You're going to have to letthat person go and, in cases of
termination, ensure that there'sadherence to the legal
(10:28):
requirements and the ethicalconsiderations, that it's not
personal, that it's related toactually your documentation.
There's that loop coming backagain.
And to haunt us.
Number five prevent futureissues.
If you're using the MBR program,you're not only doing it as a
starting point, but if it's aprogram, it has a future.
(10:49):
By promoting positive andengaging work environments and
fostering the support, you'reproviding a culture where
employees feel valued andappreciated and it can boost
morale and motivation,encouraging continued
productivity and responsiblebehavior.
All those things kind ofinterface and interact.
(11:12):
Regular recognition andappreciation and this one should
have a star by it, but thatwould be appropriate Proactively
recognizing and rewardingdesired behaviors, reinforcing
positive change and motivatingindividuals to continue
contributing to theorganization's success.
And the one that I think isvery important is lead by
(11:33):
example.
Leaders must be responsible fortheir behaviors.
They have to demonstrate acommitment to the principles
that they're trying to promote.
Like NBR, it should be part oftheir culture too.
So applying NBR just exactly?
What are the key points thatpeople have talked about?
Well, there's always number oneresistance to change.
(11:56):
Individuals just don't like toaccept 100% responsibility and
are much more comfortable withthe blame game.
Just, you can't accept it.
They have to takeresponsibility the fear of
consequences, which is reallythe essence of what MBR can
produce.
Employees are hesitant to admitmistakes, their shortcomings,
(12:17):
and feel that they'll bepunished or disciplined or find
negative repercussions.
This is your opportunity.
If there's a fear for them tounderstand that they're part of
the process, to make the changeand make it a positive.
And the next two points, Ithink, talk to that issue.
The next is the lack ofunderstanding.
Some may struggle to grasp thedirection or the distinction of
(12:41):
what it means in terms ofresponsible and accountable, and
they fail to comprehend thattheir actions influence their
own outcomes or ownership.
To put it simply, inconsistentleadership.
Or ownership, to put it simply,inconsistent leadership.
If leaders don't fully embodythe principles of MBR or fail to
apply them in a consistentacross all levels of the
(13:03):
organization approach, they canundermine the credibility and
effectiveness of the MBR program.
Weak organizational culture,where the culture tolerates the
lack of accountability,discourages open communication
and prioritizes the blame tocreate a significant obstacle
(13:24):
for the MBR program.
Time and effort requiresdedicated time and effort of
leaders and employees to learn,to practice and to embody these
principles of responsibility andaccountability throughout the
fabric of the organization.
I think that's the key andsometimes I've heard MBR start
(13:47):
at the very executive level, atthe top, and then goes through
the system in terms of goingdown to the day-to-day frontline
employee.
It has to be the wholeorganization complies with
taking responsibility for theresults and MBR really can
change an organization.
Greg.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
So, john, let's talk about overcoming the challenges.
First one education andtraining.
You want to make sure youcommunicate the why, explain the
rationale behind MBR and itsbenefits for both the
individuals and the organizationas a whole.
Clarify responsibility andaccountability.
(14:28):
Make sure everyone understandsthe distinction between
accepting personalresponsibility for one's action
and being held accountable forthe outcomes.
Teach behavioral skills.
Provide training incommunication, conflict
resolution, problem solving,empowering individuals to
address issues constructively.
(14:51):
Number two is leading by example, model responsible behavior.
Right, you be the model.
Leaders must demonstrateaccountability in their own
actions, admitting mistakes andfailures that they've had, and
take ownership of their failurespublicly.
Reinforce positive actions.
Recognize and rewardindividuals who exhibit
(15:12):
responsible and accountablebehavior, and that reinforces
desired actions.
Number three building asupportive and safe environment.
Emphasize learning over blame.
Put much more importance onthat learning piece, on that
(15:36):
learning piece.
Treat mistakes as learningopportunities, encouraging open
discussion and analysis of rootcauses, rather than focus on
assigning blame.
Right, we all know we learn alot more from mistakes, so let's
address them.
Foster psychological safety.
Create an environment whereindividuals feel safe to speak
up, to speak their mind.
They can ask questions in anenvironment where they can share
their concerns without fear ofcriticism or retaliation.
(15:58):
Encourage open communication.
Establish channels for feedbackand dialogue.
So you've got to set those up.
Promote transparency and trustthroughout the organization.
Number four setting clearexpectations and boundaries.
Define clear roles andresponsibilities.
(16:19):
Ensure everyone understandswhat's expected of them
individually and how theircontributions contribute to the
whole as far as overall goals.
Implement accountabilityframeworks.
There's a tool that I've usedin the past John's familiar with
it as well called the RACImetrics.
Used in the past, john'sfamiliar with it as well.
Calls it the RACI metrics and aRACI charter or responsibility
chart matrix is a projectmanagement tool that defines and
(16:39):
clarifies roles andresponsibilities within a team.
So it stands for responsible,accountable, consulted and
informed.
If there's a spot that there'snobody's name, you got to find
somebody to fill in thatresponsibility, to fill in that
role Right.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
And in the jobs that I have done in my past, this has
been the one part that hasreally made the biggest
difference.
You're assigning someone's nameand you're making sure that
they own that name, and I'vealways found that as one of the
biggest challenges for people tounderstand what it means to
take responsibility.
And one of the people that DrDurst would quote and I think
it's a wonderful opportunity toshare Admiral Rickover, the real
(17:28):
heart and soul of the submarineNavy approach that you see to
this day, had a very simplereply to responsibility.
Responsibility is a uniqueconcept.
It can only reside and adherewithin a single individual.
You may share it with others,but your portion is not
diminished.
(17:48):
You may delegate it, but it isstill with you.
You can disclaim it, but youcannot divest yourself of it.
And I really do believe, whenyou talk about implementing
accountability frameworks, thatassignment piece of it for
someone to understand that theyare taking ownership of it.
You're assigning it to them orthey've accepted the
(18:09):
responsibility.
You need to get that task done.
You'd be surprised how manytimes that step is missing and
teams struggle because theynever have taken that step of
implementing.
The next one is an ongoingcommitment and reinforcement.
I think I'm kind of feedinginto that concept of regular
(18:30):
check-ins and feedback tomonitor the progress and provide
regular constructive feedback,to offer support to the
individuals as they journey downthis road of accountability.
Align incentives andrecognition to link rewards, to
recognize a commitment to growthand responsible behavior,
(18:51):
reinforcing the values ofaccountability.
Promote a culture of continuousimprovement.
If you're doing all these steps, you now have the right road
that you want to follow.
Encourage individuals to viewthe challenges as opportunities
of growth, to constantly strivefor a higher level of
(19:13):
accountability andresponsibility.
So in this podcast, we'retrying to give you a little bit
of an idea of the cornerstonesof what it means in terms of
management by responsibility,and then some examples of how
you can actually enhance it andyou can push it along.
You're going to have thoseresistance because, let's face
(19:35):
it, at the end of the day, we'reused to blaming others.
I mean, ask a kid that's fiveyears old who stole the candy
from the top of the shelf.
They're going to blame somebodyelse.
They're not going to raisetheir hand and say it's me.
That environment of looking fora way to avoid responsibility is
something that's actually partof our culture.
(19:57):
It's a culture shift to takeresponsibility, and that's some
of the tools that I have used inorder to make that process a
part of our reality, of helpingpeople change their
organizations.
I hope that helps.
That's part of what we do, andI really enjoy talking about MBR
(20:17):
.
If you like what you've heardon the podcast, I've also
written a book called Buildingyour Leadership Toolbox and it's
available on Amazon and Barnes,noble and other sites.
Part of that process is thiswebsite I'm sorry this podcast
that we do and it's on otherformats like Apple or Google or
(20:40):
Spotify or what you're listeningto.
We appreciate it.
A lot of what we talked abouttoday is about Dr Durst and his
MBR program.
If you want to know more, it'ssuccessgrowthacademycom.
If you'd like to contact us,you can contact me at wando75.jw
at gmailcom, and music has beenbrought to you by my grandson,
(21:03):
so drop me a line, tell me whatyou like, tell me what you would
like to hear and we'll see whatwe can do.
We appreciate your input.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
So, greg, thanks thanks, john, as always and next
time.
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