Session 16: Don’t Worry, Be Happy? Managing Risks
Steven M. Smith
Risk management is a gamble. Y0u bet — invest time and energy — to protect the organization from risks that may harm it.
You can receive abundant guidance on how to place bets to protect an organization from the risks to technology systems, such as from floods, blizzards and earthquakes. But much less guidance about managing the risks to human systems, such as a team.
For example, I worked on a team who suffered from a flu epidemic. Member after member became sick. Productivity sunk forcing the scuttling of carefully crafted schedules.
Many organizations ignore the whole question of risks to human systems. Whether its done consciously or unconsciously, they have chosen to don’t worry and be happy.
We will use simulations and group discussion to explore: Patterns in how organizations consciously and unconsciously manage risks in their human systems; which risks participants believe deserve attention; which risks don’t deserve attention; and strategies for gaining risk management investment — bets on protecting the organization.
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