Parenthood and risk management have a lot in common – both demand a superhuman ability to multitask, stay one step ahead, and keep a cool head. Every day is another challenge… but you wouldn’t change it for the world, right?
Two years ago, I became a mother for the first time. Everyone tells you that parenthood will transform your life beyond recognition, but I didn’t really understand it until I experienced it for myself.
Afer this point, life becomes a great balancing act. And quite often it can feel like you’re lurching from one crisis to another. Endlessly jumping between a non-stop barrage of childhood illnesses, work deadlines, swimming lessons, printing schedules, sleep regressions, and meetings.
Editing this issue, it struck me that risk managers are experiencing a similar state of chaos these days. We are all trying to navigate between escalating climate risk, cyber attacks, supply chain complexity and disruption, growing regulation, and a world that is – from a geopolitical standpoint at least – on fire.
When you’re in the midst of this, it can feel like you’re on the back foot, always reacting, never quite achieving your goals, and incapable of seeing the right path forward.
COME PREPARED
In my personal life, I find there are two things that help. The first is planning. Anyone with children knows that in the early stages, just leaving the house becomes something akin to a full-scale military operation.
You create a list of everything you might possibly need to avert disaster. You develop tools, and tactics, and strategies for every possible scenario, even the black swans. You come armed with snacks, and water, and waterproofs, and sun cream, and you never, ever go out without all of it.
Successful risk managers have developed a similar approach.
Risk identification is becoming more sophisticated, with innovations such as AI and natural language processing pushing the envelope. Risk workshops are allowing organisations to pinpoint the most pertinent risks the y face and develop strategies to manage them.
Geopolitical risk monitoring is allowing risk managers to see how current crises are evolving, and what the next big disaster might be.
FINDING KINDRED SPIRITS
The other thing that helps parents stay afloat in the early years is talking to people in the same boat. This is one reason that parenting groups and toddler classes exist.
First, it’s hugely comforting to know you aren’t the only one going through all of this. But even more importantly, you learn from those other people. They can pass on their tips, you can share yours, and collectively you all develop better strategies to cope with the business of parenting.
Again, risk management is no different. When this issue hits the stands, I will have just got back from the Risk-!n conference in Zurich, and will be at Airmic – two events I am looking forward to enormously.
One of the best things about these conferences is they give us a forum to exchanging ideas, which ultimately makes for better risk management. Something this world of volatility and tension we are living in so greatly needs.
I look forward to seeing many of you there, and hearing about your latest strategies for mitigating the bombardment of risks we face. Parenting tips welcome, too!
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