Direct Responsible Individual (DRI)

Moralis Business School Onboarding Course
#1
  1. What is a DRI?
  2. What are the benefits of a DRI?
  3. What powers do DRI have?
  4. Should the DRI make all the decisions themselves?
  5. Is the DRI the manager?
  6. Who can become a DRI?
  7. In which circumstances do we need more approvals than the opinion of the DRI?
  8. Should the DRI solve the tasks they are assigned on their own?
  9. Does the DRI have to accept all opinions they get?
  10. Is DRI expected to seek other people’s opinions?
#2
  1. One responsible person
  2. Can be good or bad
  3. Own the goal of the task
  4. No, delegation is a tool
  5. Not necessary, it can be somebody else
  6. Someone specific for an specific detail
  7. I depends on the information we have available
  8. No, it depends on the team this person creates
  9. Yeah, is about gathering feedback
  10. Yeah, based on this this person will take the final decision
#3
  1. What is a DRI?

a list of tasks or activities that someone has to be accountable and responsible but not limited to.

  1. What are the benefits of a DRI?

that everyone knows who is responsible of the tasks. people empower to be responsible; feel ownership of projects almost in an obsessively fashion. it simplify work and not overcrowd into one single task

  1. What powers do DRI have?

accountability and ownership on tasks allows the authority to make decisions; you don’t have to wait to someone tell you what to do ; you push the wagon exercising leadership muscles and being proactive.

  1. Should the DRI make all the decisions themselves?

everyone can provide inputs and decision should be made in issues or open forums. the decision power resides within the DRI.

  1. Is the DRI the manager?
    it can be a manager, a team lead, or an executive. it can be anyone with the right skills for the tasks; we may disagree, commit and disagree but we all have to provide results

  2. Who can become a DRI?

DRIs are assigned at task level, the best person with the talent to perform the tasks

  1. In which circumstances do we need more approvals than the opinion of the DRI?

when the work requires to involve 3 or more teams, a huge financial impact, a significant risk to business, business reputation considerations, and multiple success considerations.

  1. Should the DRI solve the tasks they are assigned on their own?

mostly yes, that is the baseline and work on bias of action, find independently without asking to provide results and document and collaborate in other tasks. DRI doesn’t need explanation of their actions

  1. Does the DRI have to accept all opinions they get?

probably no, opinions may be suggestions; it has to be something simple; perhaps the most boring and simple idea may be the best; if we accept all suggestion it can derail the task and fall in a perpetual loop. at the end DRI make decisions and no explanation is needed. it’s about results, and we could make mistakes but make sure those are in small iterations; and correct mistakes.

  1. Is DRI expected to seek other people’s opinions?

it depends, it’s ok to not know everything and eager to seek opinions.
it’s about ownership and accountability, the DRI can look for advise but ultimately he is responsible to make a decision publicly and document the results and findings on the task at hand.

1 Like
#4

  1. What is a DRI?
    A DRI is the “directly responsible individual,” which means one person in a team, who takes the decisions and is held accountable for the results of a project or task. This concept sounds very close to the concept of “AOP” (area of pride) Sephora used when I worked there, where each of us “owned” a gondola (shelves) for one or more brands. It was only the person assigned to that AOP, who would be responsible for it being clean and always being up to standard even if others were, of course, expected to collaborate by e.g. sharpening lip liners, sanitizing testers, or filling in products, if they used something.

  2. What are the benefits of a DRI?

  • You always know who’s in charge of making decisions and has the responsibility for getting results.
  • There’s always someone pushing forward in that project (the DRI about their AOP :smiley: ).
  • It concentrates efficiency so that one person stands for coordinating collaboration and decision-making for a project instead of many.
  • Helps people exercise the “leadership muscle.”

  1. What powers do DRI have?
    DRIs have the responsibility and authority to have the last word when it comes to decision-making. This means that DRIs don’t have to explain their decisions to anyone, which helps keep a bias for action.

  2. Should the DRI make all the decisions themselves?
    Ultimately, yes because the DRI are the ones with the last word when it comes to making decisions in their specific project/task. However, all team members are welcome to offer their input and even disagree-commit-disagree. In the end, decisions can be made public on public platforms like e.g. slack channels, especially if there were mixed opinions on the direction any specific project should take so that everyone can be on the same page.

  3. Is the DRI the manager?
    DRIs are not necessarily managers, but they are the managers of the particular project they’re working on. Every team member has the possibility of becoming a DRI of the projects and tasks they work on.

  4. Who can become a DRI?
    Anyone who is the most proficient in the abilities to perform the tasks required for a project can become a DRI. The DRI has to be able to:

  • Work detail-orientated without ever losing a strong strategic perspective.
  • Remain calm under pressure - especially regarding implementation and deadlines.
  • Be a good active listener.
  • Adjust the direction of the team’s work accordingly to keep moving towards the desired results.
  • Anticipate and prevent potential problems in a timely manner.
  • Successfully interact at senior and junior levels within the organization.
  • Recover swiftly and efficiently from setbacks.
  • Learn from every situation to acquire transferable skills.
  1. In which circumstances do we need more approvals than the opinion of the DRI?
    This is rare but approval is needed in situations when changes:
  • Includes changes to the Moralis handbook or core principles
  • Involve 3 or more teams
  • Could have a large financial impact
  • Could present a significant risk to the business
  • Have business reputation considerations
  • Have multiple success considerations

  1. Should the DRI solve the tasks they are assigned on their own?
    No. The DRI should be completely invested in their assignment, but also accept collaboration to be able to achieve the best results possible.

  2. Does the DRI have to accept all opinions they get?
    No. Everyone can give their input - and while the DRI should know how and when it is sensible to trust in the experience and judgment of their peers, including managers or the CEO - no one has the right to be considered when the DRI makes a final decision.

  3. Is the DRI expected to seek other people’s opinions?
    Yes. The DRI is part of a team, so the DRI also has the responsibility to make sure that the team remains motivated and aligned on achieving the expected results.

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#5

1. What is a DRI?

Direct Responsible Individual - Every project is assigned a DRI who is ultimately held accountable for the success/failure of that project

2. What are the benefits of a DRI?

  • we have a framework where everyone knows who is ultimately responsible and in-charge
  • When solving complex issues across multiple functions or teams, its easy for the task to not get done when no-one is pushing it forward. This is why a DRI is very important, to drive a task and be responsible for it.
  • More ownership than accountability. DRI’s will really care about their tasks
  • More efficient for the team. You don’t have many people worrying about the same thing

3. What powers do DRI have?

  • Authority to make decisions
  • DRIs do not owe anyone an explanation for their decision
  • Everyone can provide input, but decision makingpower ultimately rests with DRI

4. Should the DRI make all the decisions themselves?

  • They should gather feedback and experience from their team and peers and then take that into consideration when make a decision.

5. Is the DRI the manager?

  • It may be a manager, team lead or even an individual

6. Who can become a DRI?

  • Any person on the team (manager, team lead or even an individual)

7. In which circumstances do we need more approvals than the opinion of the DRI?

  • Involves 3 or more teams
  • Could have large financial impact
  • Could present significant risk to the business
  • Have business reputation considerations
  • Have multiple success considerations

8. Should the DRI solve the tasks they are assigned on their own?

  • It depends on the size of the task, the DRI should still work as a team and get team members to help with the task if the task requires it.

9. Does the DRI have to accept all opinions they get?

  • They should consider it but they do not need to accept it. They are the decision maker.

10. Is DRI expected to seek other people’s opinions?

  • Yes, the DRI is expected to get the teams opinion and take it into consideration
1 Like
#6

1. What is a DRI?

for any specific task, there is someone who is responsible for the success or failure of it.every one are open to say their attitude but the DRI is responsible to make the decision

2. What are the benefits of a DRI?

-there is always a recognizable person who is in charge of something
-that person pushing forward that task and monitoring the progress
-any task can have just one decision maker and it prevents the chaos

3. What powers do DRI have?

“DRIs have the responsibility and authority to have the last word when it comes to decision-making. This means that DRIs don’t have to explain their decisions to anyone, which helps keep a bias for action.”

4. Should the DRI make all the decisions themselves?

all teammate can offer their input to the problem but the final decision maker is DRI

5. Is the DRI the manager?

DRI can be anyone, a manager who handles a project. an engineer who is working on a single task and …

6. Who can become a DRI?

anyone who can meet the characteristic of a DRI
“1. Detail-orientated without ever losing a strong strategic perspective.
2. Calm under the pressure of implementation and deadlines.
3. A strong listener with great skill at asking questions.
4. Able to vary the direction of the project (or tactic or task) in smart ways to keep moving toward the objective.
5. Adept at anticipating potential problems and addressing them early.
6. Able to successfully interact at senior and junior levels within the organization.
7. Resilient in order to recover from setbacks.
8. Consistent in how they respond to comparable situations.”

7. In which circumstances do we need more approvals than the opinion of the DRI?

"- Involve 3-or-more teams

  • Could have a large financial impact
  • Could present significant risk to the business
  • Have business reputation considerations
  • Have multiple success considerations (for instance, increase MRR through a product change AND maintain customer NPS)"

8. Should the DRI solve the tasks they are assigned on their own?

it depends on the scale of the task

9. Does the DRI have to accept all opinions they get?

DRI has to listen and consider all inputs but making the actual decision is by the DRI.

10. Is DRI expected to seek other people’s opinions?

absolutely yes

1 Like
#7

  1. Direct Responsible Individual

  2. There is always someone who is responsible for either the success or failure of a certain project or task. It provides effortless accountability as long as this process is applied.

  3. DRI’s have the power to move the task forward and make the decisions responsible for the overall success (or failure) of the plan.

  4. While they’re empowered to make all final decisions, they should know how and when to trust in the experience and judgment of their teams and peers. The DRI can look for information and advice, but in the end the DRI is the one who makes the decisions about the task at hand.

  5. Not necessarily, but there may arise some situations where a manager temporarily becomes a DRI. All team members are capable of being a DRI at any given time based on the tasks they receive.

  6. Anyone can become a DRI, everyone at some point will find themselves in this position, it is inevitable unless you are looking for a severance package.

  7. Only in rare circumstances will this be necessary.

  8. DRI is expected to utilize available resources in most effective manner possible to achieve goals, this can mean working together in a team and also working by yourself. Take all steps necessary to see that you uphold your responsibility as a DRI.

  9. No, there is a difference between accepting and listening/taking into consideration.

  10. A DRI is expected to be a strong listener with great skill at asking other people questions. This will most certainly at some point involve the opinions of team members. Seeking other peoples opinions will be necessary in some cases but not always required.

1 Like
#8
  1. What is a DRI?

Directly responsible individual" (DRI): The idea is that every project is assigned a DRI who is ultimately held accountable for the success (or failure) of that project.

  1. What are the benefits of a DRI?

One of the biggest benefits of using the DRI framework is that you always knows who’s ultimately in charge of moving an issue ahead. Another benefit is that they have ownership. Having a DRI is also efficient for the team because you don’t have fifteen people all worrying about the same things.

  1. What powers do DRI have?

Authority to make decisions. DRIs do not owe anyone an explanation for their decisions. The decision making power ultimately rests with the DRI.

  1. Should the DRI make all the decisions themselves?

The decision making power ultimately rests with the DRI.

  1. Is the DRI the manager?

No. It can be anyone.

  1. Who can become a DRI?

DRIs are assigned at task level, the best person who can do that task.

  1. In which circumstances do we need more approvals than the opinion of the DRI?

  • Involve 3-or-more teams

  • Could have a large financial impact

  • Could present significant risk to the business

  • Have business reputation considerations

  • Have multiple success considerations (for instance, increase MRR through a product change AND maintain customer NPS)

  1. Should the DRI solve the tasks they are assigned on their own?

The DRI should be wholly invested in their assignment and welcome collaboration in order to succeed. While they’re empowered to make all final decisions, they should know how and when to trust in the experience and judgment of their teams and peers.

  1. Does the DRI have to accept all opinions they get?

No, other people can make suggestions as well, but the DRI doesn’t have to accept it as they make the final decision.

  1. Is DRI expected to seek other people’s opinions?

He can look for advise but he will make the decision.

1 Like
#9

Direct Responsible Individual [DRI] :muscle:

  1. Direct Responsible Individual (DRI) is the one person with whom the buck stopped on any given project, takes ownership and accountability, responsible for fulfilling all the needs of their project.
  2. The DRI framework is always ultimately in charge of moving an issue ahead, trusted as a driving force when an issue is stalling, collaborating across teams, obsessing over metrics, and tracking down issues.
  3. Accountability, ownership, and decision-making power rest with the DRI.
  4. DRIs do not owe anyone an explanation for their decisions, and they don’t have to convince other people about their decision. If you force a DRI to explain too much, you’ll create incentives to ship projects under the radar. The fear of falling into a perpetual loop of explaining can derail a DRI, and cause people to defer rather than work with a bias for action.
  5. The DRI might be a manager or team leader, they might even be an executive. The Product Manager is the DRI for the prioritization and the Tech Lead/Engineering Manager is the DRI for delivery. All team members are also most often the DRI for the tasks they individually accomplish.
  6. The selection of a DRI and their specific role will vary based on their own skill set and the requirements of their assigned task.
  7. It is the responsibility of the DRI to recognize the need for approvals and to continue to move the project forward. Most of these circumstances will happen in instances in which initiatives:
  • Involve 3-or-more teams
  • Could have a large financial impact
  • Could present a significant risk to the business
  • Have business reputation considerations
  • Have multiple success considerations (for instance, increase MRR through a product change AND maintain customer NPS)

Examples include:

  • A large cross-functional initiative that has significant reputational or financial implications for the GitLab and its users, such as a pricing initiative
  • The rollout of a major policy change that requires multiple functions to align on a coordinated response (for example, legal, marketing, finance), such as changes to the Terms of Service
  1. A DRI is held accountable for the success (or failure) of that project, mandatorily.
  2. Everyone gets to provide input, but no-one has the right to be considered in the decision, not even the opinion of the CEO. The decision-making power ultimately rests with the DRI.
  3. DRI is not expected to hear feedback. They can if they need to, as they should know what they are looking for and why. DRI’s knows best.
1 Like
#10

  1. What is a DRI?
    Direct Responsible Individual for a task or project.

  2. What are the benefits of a DRI?
    Having somebody take ownership so that a task does not slip through the cracks. Having somebody who people can go to if a task is stalling.

  3. What powers do DRI have?
    Authority to make decisions in the end, without owing anybody an explanation.

  4. Should the DRI make all the decisions themselves?
    No, they should provide others with an opportunity to provide input, but nobody has the right to override the DRI’s decision - they are responsible.

  5. Is the DRI the manager?
    Not necessarily.

  6. Who can become a DRI?
    Anyone who is capable of driving the task to completion.

  7. In which circumstances do we need more approvals than the opinion of the DRI?
    Tasks that:

  • involve 3-or-more teams
  • could have a large financial impact
  • could present significant risk for the business
  • have business reputation considerations
  • have multiple success considerations

  1. Should the DRI solve the tasks they are assigned on their own?
    No, although they are wholly responsible for the delivery.
    They likely won’t be the only person working on their assigned project, but it’s “up to that person to get it done or find the resources needed.”

  2. Does the DRI have to accept all opinions they get?
    No

  3. Is DRI expected to seek other people’s opinions?
    Not always. They should know when to trust in the experience and judgement of their teams and peers.

1 Like
#11

  1. A DRI is Direct Responsible Individual which is responsible for a task. The DRI is held accountable for the success of the project. They are responsible that a project gets done.

  2. The main benefit of having a DRI is that you know who is in charge of a issue and who is driving it. Another benefit of DRI is that ownership is promoted instead of accountability. You can achieve greater things when you know you are the owner of the issue. Having a DRI also simplifies the way engineers work, because they do not have to worry about the leadership part, and they can just focus on the work.

  3. The DRI have the power to make decisions about the task at hand.

  4. The DRI has the power to make decisions, but ultimately is a collaborative effort in the sense that the DRI can ask for advice and look for information.

  5. The DRI can be a manager, or the CEO, or a team lead. The DRI can be anyone who has the right skills to be in this position.

  6. Everyone who has the necessary skills to get the job done, and to make great decisions.

  7. More approvals than the opinion of the DRI are need in case the issue involves more than 3 teams, or if the problem at hand has a large financial impact, or if it presents a big risk to he company, or if it has impact on the business reputation.

  8. No, the DRI should promote collaboration in order to get things done.

  9. No, the DRI should not accept all opinions. Ultimately, the DRI is responsible for his decision and no-one has the right to be considered in the decision.

  10. The DRI should be able to seek other people’s opinions, and ultimately he will make the final decision.

1 Like
#12
  1. Directly responsible individual refers to one person who is responsible for driving the project forward.
  2. Tasks get done instead of just sitting there waiting for someone to take action and by knowing who is in charge you can hold people accountable.
  3. One of the biggest benefits of using the DRI framework is that you always knows who’s ultimately in charge of moving an issue ahead.
  4. The DRI is the one making the final decision but can look for help and feedback amongst colleagues.
  5. Not necessarily.
  6. Anyone within the team. Usually someone who is detail-oriented, calm under preassure, and strong listening skills.
  7. I.e. when there are more than 3 teams involved or when it can have a large financial impact.
  8. It depends but probably not, because the DRI is responsible for the task to be solved, and should ask for help from colleagues.
  9. It’s key for the DRI to be able to listen on opinions and analyze them in order to make the best decision possible - not meaning all opinions are “accepted”.
  10. Yes.
1 Like
#13
  1. A person who is responsible and accountable for a list of tasks/activities/areas of our platform, even if you are not a manager.
  2. It empowers people to be responsible, people know who is responsible for the tasks, strong sense of ownership, it simplifies work.
  3. Owning the goal, accountability and responsibility of the tasks, which allows the authority to make decisions. You don’t have to wait for someone to tell you what needs to be done and you push the wheel, by being proactive and focusing our mission.
    4 and 7. Most of the times yes, but there are some rare circumstances, when there is a need for an approval (if it involves multiple teams, if it has a big financial impact, has potential considerations on our reputation etc)
  4. It can be anyone, not only a manager, basically anyone with the right skills for the tasks.
  5. The best person with the talent to perform that task.
  6. The DRI should be main person invested in their assignment, but ofc welcome collaboration in order to succeed.
  7. Feedback and suggestions are welcome, but we may disagree, commit, and disagree, but we all have to achieve results.
  8. It’s more about ownership and accountability, and feedback is definitely welcome.
1 Like
#14
  1. A DRI (Direct Responsible Individual) is someone who is ultimately held accountable for the success of a project
  2. The benefit is having someone incharge of moving everything forward
  3. Decision making
  4. Not exactly, tho they have the power to make decisions, they should still consider inputs from others before making such decisions
  5. No, whoever is responsible to work on a task or project is the DRI
  6. Anyone who is capable to make judgements
  7. When there are other people/teams/project involved, when it could make a big financial impact, a risk to the business, reputation, multiple success consideration
  8. Not always, some cases there is a need to get more information from others to complete a task
  9. Yes
  10. Yes
1 Like
#15

  1. What is a DRI?
    A Direct Responsible Individual is a person that is responsible for the success or failure of one project

  2. What are the benefits of a DRI?
    You always know who is ultimately in charge of moving the issues that are related to the project they are responsible for bringing efficiency and order

  3. What powers do DRI have?
    They can make decisions and do not awe explanations for them nor have to convince anyone

  4. Should the DRI make all the decisions themselves?
    No, they should welcome collaboration in order to succeed. Part of their role is knowing when to trust the experience and judgment of their teams and peers

  5. Is the DRI the manager?
    They might but not necessarily. In reality what selects them is based on their own skillset and the requirements of the task

  6. Who can become a DRI?
    Anyone. They are chosen based on the task that has to be done and who is the best one to accomplish it

  7. In which circumstances do we need more approvals than the opinion of the DRI?

  • Whenever there are other teams involved
  • The financial impact can be big
  • Present significant risk to the business
  • Business reputation is at stake
  • Have multiple success considerations

  1. Should the DRI solve the tasks they are assigned on their own?
    No, they can leverage on their team or other members

  2. Does the DRI have to accept all opinions they get?
    They should welcome it but it is in their responsibility to apply them as they are the ones making the final decisions

  3. Is DRI expected to seek other people’s opinions?
    Yes, team work is always better and this will enable them take better decisions

1 Like
#16
  1. What is a DRI?

to refer to the one person with whom the buck stopped on any given project. The idea is that every project is assigned a DRI who is ultimately held accountable for the success (or failure) of that project.

  1. What are the benefits of a DRI?

One of the biggest benefits of using the DRI framework is that you always knows who’s ultimately in charge of moving an issue ahead. With a DRI appointed to every task, you can always trust that the DRI is the one driving, and you don’t have to worry about what happens when an issue is stalling, or when collaboration is happening across teams. It also creates more ownership than accountability. When you feel like something is your baby, then you really, really care about how it’s doing. Having a DRI is also efficient for the team because you don’t have fifteen people all worrying about the same things. Instead,

  1. What powers do DRI have?

Accountability and ownership as a DRI also comes with authority to make decisions. The DRI can look for information and advice, but in the end the DRI is the one who makes the decisions about the task at hand.

  1. Should the DRI make all the decisions themselves?

Everyone can provide input, and decisions should be publicly made in issues or public slack channels. So everyone get’s to provide input, but no-one has the right to be considered in the decision, not even the opinion of the CEO. The decision making power ultimately rests with the DRI. The DRI should be wholly invested in their assignment and welcome collaboration in order to succeed. While they’re empowered to make all final decisions, they should know how and when to trust in the experience and judgment of their teams and peers.

  1. Is the DRI the manager?

The DRI might be a manager or team leader, they might even be an executive. Or, they may themselves be individually responsible for fulfilling all the needs of their project. The selection of a DRI and their specific role will vary based on their own skillset and the requirements of their assigned task. What’s most important is that they’re empowered. We may disagree, commit, and disagree, but we all have to achieve results on every decision while it stands, even when if trying to have it changed.

  1. Who can become a DRI?

DRIs are most often assigned at the task-level. For example, when building a new product feature the Product Manager is the DRI for the prioritization and the Tech Lead/Engineering Manager is the DRI for delivery. All team members are also most often the DRI for the tasks they individually accomplish.

At times, someone may be a DRI for an entire process or project. Because this comes with additional responsibility, there are some suggested characteristics to keep in mind when assigning the DRI.

  1. Detail-orientated without ever losing a strong strategic perspective.
  2. Calm under the pressure of implementation and deadlines.
  3. A strong listener with great skill at asking questions.
  4. Able to vary the direction of project (or tactic or task) in smart ways to keep moving toward the objective.
  5. Adept at anticipating potential problems and addressing them early.
  6. Able to successfully interact at senior and junior levels within the organization.
  7. Resilient in order to recover from setbacks.
  8. Consistent in how they respond to comparable situations.

The DRI is also part of a team, a team needs to be motivated and aligned on achieving the steps to get to success. The DRI will also be responsible for making sure the team gets there.
The DRI is not necessarily the manager of the other members in the team.

  1. In which circumstances do we need more approvals than the opinion of the DRI?

These are extremely rare, but include situation where:

  • Involve 3-or-more teams
  • Could have a large financial impact
  • Could present significant risk to the business
  • Have business reputation considerations
  • Have multiple success considerations (for instance, increase MRR through a product change AND maintain customer NPS)
  1. Should the DRI solve the tasks they are assigned on their own?

The DRI should be wholly invested in their assignment and welcome collaboration in order to succeed. While they’re empowered to make all final decisions, they should know how and when to trust in the experience and judgment of their teams and peers.

  1. Does the DRI have to accept all opinions they get?

We may disagree, commit, and disagree, but we all have to achieve results on every decision while it stands, even when if trying to have it changed.

  1. Is DRI expected to seek other people’s opinions?

Accountability and ownership as a DRI also comes with authority to make decisions. The DRI can look for information and advice, but in the end the DRI is the one who makes the decisions about the task at hand.

It is important to understand that DRIs do not owe anyone an explanation for their decisions, and they don’t have to convince other people about their decision. If you force a DRI to explain too much, you’ll create incentives to ship projects under the radar. The fear of falling into a perpetual loop of explaining can derail a DRI, and cause people to defer rather than working with a bias for action.