Recent disasters in many parts of the United States have highlighted the importance of preparing for situations that may appear unlikely to occur, such as widespread flooding, rapidly spreading wildfires, or even an active shooterHowever, many CEOs overlook how to effectively manage day-to-day risks and build a robust, resilient business that can withstand and even predict industry-wide disruptions.
Growth necessitates the acceptance and management of risksThe most effective executives work not only to reduce risk, but also to identify and assess the risks that will drive their organization’s next round of acquisition or expansionIf you have these three things, you can more easily build processes in your company to identify, scope, and manage risks.
- Recognize that there are both positive and negative risksThe “15 percent culture” at 3M, which allows employees to spend up to 15% of their time on projects of their choice, resulted in the invention of the ubiquitous Post-It Note, as well as more than 100,000 patentsThis culture has existed for a long time and has given employees time off to work on their projectsCompanies like 3M have realized that it is not necessary to take a “bet-the-farm” risk in order to innovateThis type of risk occurs when a company bets everything, or nearly everything, on a single product or serviceBy focusing on small bets made frequently on betting apps like this, a cycle of continuous innovation can be enabled throughout the businessTo be successful, this cycle requires a procedure that allows you to systematically distinguish between good and bad risks.
A good risk is often associated with a product or service that is central to your business, as this is where the majority of your customers place their valueIf you want to strengthen your market position, you must keep coming up with new and innovative ideasWhat is the desired change, and does it involve people, processes, or technology? What are the advantages of making this change? Conduct a market analysis to determine the benefits, including potential upside and downside, and consider how similar risks have previously manifested themselves in your business.
There are times when taking a moderate risk is insufficient, and you must up the ante to keep up with the changing marketConsider the following company: Porsche: When Porsche’s first SUV, the Cayenne, was released for the first time in the United States in 2003, the company was already in financial troubleSports car sales had fallen along with the overall economy in the 1990s, contributing to the automaker’s rapidly increasing level of debtUnder these conditions, the introduction of a luxury SUV was a significant risk; however, Porsche felt compelled to act because the luxury automaker needed to diversify its revenue streams in order to avoid bankruptcyAnd the reward was well worth the effortIn contrast, Porsche’s decision to replace the iconic air-cooled boxer engine in the 911’s 966 chassis with a water-cooled one was a small risk that failed, with resale values reflecting Porsche owners’ preferences for the original engine to this dayThis decision was made in the 911’s 966 chassis.
Every risk, by definition, includes the possibility that it will not pay offBut there is one thing you can be certain of: if you consistently bet the farm, you will eventually lose itIf you want to try your hand at online gaming, check out these highly rated online casinosEncourage people to consider taking risksOnce you’ve established a system for categorizing, assessing, and taking risks, the next step is to figure out how to create an environment that helps leaders decide which bets to take and which questions to ask.
Learn from organizations such as 3M and Google, where employees are encouraged to communicate the risks they are taking at the start of each meetingThis could be very beneficialInquire with the company’s leaders and managers about the bets they’re making to support the growth areas outlined in their three- or five-year strategic plansAssist in reframing the discussion so that a new risk is linked to a previous successful bet.
Expansion into a new territory, for example, is done in anticipation of future growthAllow anyone and everyone to contribute their ideas by providing a structure, even if it’s just a box in your workplace’s foyerGive everyone a clear picture of your bets and the reasoning behind themLearn more about maximum betting on depositcasinos.org.
A culture that encourages appropriate levels of risk-taking necessitates knowledge of how to limit the size of bets placedTake some calculated risks in an area of your company that may or may not be profitable; creating an innovation pipeline to support this endeavor is critical to its successIt’s possible you won’t discover you’re good at itIf you are losing the majority of your bets, it is a sign that you are not following the guidelines on most US-friendly betting websites, which state that this is evidence that you are notThe process of analyzing and tracking risks, costs, and outcomes should be strengthened, followed by course correction.
Always keep your flanks coveredYou won’t be able to do anything new or forward-thinking unless you first get your house in orderBusinesses such as Boeing use fatigue testing to determine the strength of a material by subjecting it to incrementally increasing amounts of stress over timeYou want your company to be able to respond to the inevitable forces that it will face, just as airplane wings are designed to be strong without being fragileThe terms “internal processes” and “risk management” are appropriate in this context.
Analyze your company’s most important financial metrics, such as cash reserves, projected revenues, and any other relevant KPIsWhere are your armor’s weak points? Do any of your critical operational processes, such as payroll, have a single point of failure? What are the consequences if a critical customer declares bankruptcy unexpectedly?
Someone else has most likely already solved the problem you’re experiencingTo protect your flanks, consider looking at best practices used in other businesses dealing with issues similar to yoursConsider working in an industry that places a strong emphasis on safety to reduce your financial riskCompanies that process credit card payments are subject to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard’s stringent regulations, while banks conduct rigorous internal stress tests to determine how well they would fare in the event of a crisis (PCI DSS)One method of managing operational risk is to assess the processes already in place in businesses such as utilitiesFollowing a power outage, for example, power companies determine which critical individuals and pieces of infrastructure must be operational in order to continue business as usual, and they stage the critical tasks required to do so.
In a market characterized by disruption across industries, from healthcare and retail to ridesharing, the riskiest move is to assume that your industry, or your company’s position within it, is stableThis is due to the market’s disruption in industries ranging from healthcare and retail to ridesharingNot only can you better prepare for the unexpected by putting in place procedures that allow your company to make informed bets while still keeping its house in order, but you can also better position your company for future growth.
