Inherent Risk: Why It’s So Confusing and What You Should Do Instead

When asking a question, isn’t it awkward when all you get is a blank stare in return? It certainly felt awkward at points when asking different business units specific risk questions in my early career as an ERM practitioner. Whenever I would use risk terminology with an executive or manager, all I would frequently get…
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Harmonizing Operational, Enterprise, and Strategic Risk Management

“Teamwork makes the dream work.” This famous saying first coined by clergyman John C. Maxwell is one of my personal favorites and highly relevant in business, sports, family life, and much more. It’s also highly relevant to the success of any organization, including its risk management. And by teamwork, I’m not necessarily referring to the…
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Harness the Visual Bow tie to Better Communicate Risks and Controls

It’s no secret among those who know me well that I’m a visual person. Like many others of the same disposition, I learn concepts the best through any sort of picture, diagram, or some other type of visual aid. Therefore, I was naturally intrigued by a 2022 Risk Awareness Week session by Graeme Keith entitled…
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Risk Culture vs. Culture Risk – Are They Really that Different?

Every once in a while, we all encounter confusing words and phrases that only experts can understand. One such example of this in action came to light in a recent conversation with a company. This particular organization was inquiring about a risk culture audit, which sounds like an excellent idea when you consider how many…
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The Low-Hanging Fruit of Identifying Opportunities

Recently, some neighbors invited us to come and pick some ripened citrus from their trees (before they all froze). At first, this was easy to do since much of the fruit (grapefruit, tangerines, satsumas, etc.) was lower down the tree and easily reachable from the ground, even for our son to reach. What does this…
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risk terminology

Interview Dives into Complex Subject of Talent Risks and Opportunities

Just before the 2022 Christmas holidays, I had the pleasure of speaking with Julian Rierson for a short bit over Zoom on the current issues, risks, and opportunities around talent. Julian has an interesting blend of HR and ERM experience, so I felt he was uniquely positioned to provide insights on not only HR issues…
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Does the Southwest Meltdown Prove ERM Haters Correct?

Most of the time, flight delays and cancellations are just an inconvenience for a small number of people. That cannot be said about the recent “meltdown” of Southwest Airlines’ operations over the Christmas 2022 holiday. While the intense winter weather gripping the U.S. affected all airlines, the impact to Southwest was especially severe with close…
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Top 23 Risk Management (…and Other) Resources for 2023

I’m sure plenty of family, friends, and associates have already told you, but Happy New Year!! The holiday season is quickly fading in the rearview mirror as January is already feeling like a rocket, and we are all getting back to work. While the past year maybe wasn’t quite as chaotic as the past two,…
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The 12 Days of ERM Christmas

Without a doubt, one of my family’s favorite holidays is Christmas. Part of the fun, especially for our son, is seeing what “Santa” brought, but most importantly, we treasure the spirit of peace and goodwill the season brings. And after what seemed to be a never-ending warm spell, the weather is expected to be good…
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Don’t Let Goals and Initiatives Be Blindsided by External Events

As the end of the year draws near, I think we’d all agree that while it wasn’t without its challenges, this year also wasn’t quite as turbulent as the previous two. While a lot of people are juggling company parties, shopping for friends and family, and special activities for the kids, most companies are putting…
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Meet Carol

​As an enterprise risk management consultant, my goal – and a real passion! – is ensuring companies have the tools they need to identify and properly manage threats and opportunities to business objectives ... Read More

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