Advanced Techniques, Tools
Avoid Rookie Mistakes and Protect your Internal Reputation
Be honest – have you ever done something that you soon realized was a real rookie mistake? Me raising my hand… Considering the nature of ERM’s role to ask questions and challenge assumptions (often during conversations with executives), it can be argued that, in at least some cases, the expectations bar for risk professionals is…
Read More 3 Potential Approaches to Responsibly Outsourcing ERM
On the surface, outsourcing a support function seems to offer the path of least resistance. Taking this path for a variety of operational areas is certainly tempting and may actually be the best option in many circumstances…but as naturalist and author Henry David Thoreau somewhat cynically puts it – “the path of least resistance leads…
Read More One Fatal Error of KRIs and How to Avoid It
If you were to ask what constitutes a well-rounded, mature ERM program that delivers strategic value to the organization, many would say robust key risk indicators (KRIs) would certainly be at or near the top of the list. Writing in the book Enterprise Risk Management: Today’s Leading Research and Best Practices for Tomorrow’s Executives, Deloitte…
Read More Does ESG Expose Additional Risks and Opportunities?
If you work with a publicly-traded company or otherwise follow financial news, you’re undoubtedly familiar with ESG, which can best be described as a “set of standards” for evaluating a company’s track record on an array of Environmental, Social, and Governance issues. Over the last decade or so, ESG has become a significant concern for…
Read More Risk & Strategy Visionary Shares Valuable Insights on Risk Appetite and Tolerance
It’s clear from commentary and my blog’s web traffic data that risk appetite is considered to be the most challenging and controversial parts of ERM. To learn more about these differing perspectives, I invite you to check out this article that includes commentary from various thought leaders. We are always trying to better understand the…
Read More Compliance vs. Risk Focused Software – Can One System Serve two Masters?
To save time, money, or both, many of us have the tendency to re-purpose tools and processes for something they weren’t originally intended for. Depending on the circumstances, this approach sometimes works … Take, for example, a client who uses a system called Jira designed for facilitating IT help requests. With a few tweaks, this…
Read More Risk Appetite: Bridging the Gap Between Two Extremes
If there’s one thing I have come to appreciate in my life, it’s how there can be so many perspectives and wildly differing opinions around a given topic, be it politics, religion, sports, or even something as inane road maintenance in a neighborhood association (don’t ask!). In the risk management world, few other topic garners…
Read More How to Achieve Organizational Goals with Scenario Planning
For this week’s post, I would like to share an article written for Carrier Management, a quarterly journal targeting executives in the property & casualty insurance industry. Although examples are specific to the insurance industry, the advice and insights are applicable to any organization. Whether formally documented or not, every organization is going to have…
Read More Prove your Value to the CEO: Focus More on Big Picture Issues, Less on Process
Too often, we get so consumed with the day-to-day that we forget to take a step back to look at the bigger picture. In our personal lives, this could take the form of being too hurried going from one thing to the next that we don’t stop for a moment and take time to just…
Read More Retooling: Applying Problem Definition Process to Risk & Opportunity Management
In the manufacturing world, retooling machinery for a different purpose is a common practice. Once a machine becomes worn out, obsolete, or the product is no longer in demand, engineers can modify the equipment for another purpose and thus save the company tens of thousands, even millions of dollars. The best example of this on…
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