Asserting the Answer – A Common Pitfall of Effective Problem Solving

You know what they say about assumptions, right? One particular quote from one of my favorite action movies, the Steven Seagal classic Under Siege 2: Dark Territory comes to mind, but it’s not appropriate to repeat here. Instead, we’ll turn to the brilliant Albert Einstein who is quoted as once saying… Assumptions are made and…
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3 Components of an Effective Risk Statement

Have you ever been given an assignment at work without clear instructions? It can be dizzying to try and figure out what your first steps to be. At best, it’s disconcerting not knowing if you’re on the right track, and at worst, you don’t even know what your desired end result should be or look…
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Another Baby Step in the Qualitative to Quantitative Risk Assessment Journey

To achieve success either as individuals or collectively as a group, we must resist the temptation to be stagnant and always seek improvement. A previous article where I discuss how to develop a growth mindset is one example of putting this idea into action. Kaizen, a Japanese term that literally translates to “continuous improvement,” is…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Top 22 Risk Management (…and Other) Resources for 2022

Although this past year pales in comparison to the upheaval of 2020, it can still be summed up in one word: chaotic. Between the Great Resignation, accelerating inflation, supply chain woes, the Delta variant, and industry-specific challenges, organizations of all sizes and purposes faced incredible obstacles that were unheard of just a few short years…
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6 Steps to Building a Vibrant Performance-Focused Risk Culture

Even without the disruptions and displacements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and various responses to it around the world, companies are experiencing an unprecedented amount of challenges that were unheard of as recently as a decade ago. Changing regulations, shifting consumer demands, rapidly evolving technology, and an overall uncertainty of what the future holds are…
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