Well... new blog, to explore the world of work in which I've become some embroiled within. I notice with each day we as a socierty are becomming more risk averse, we single out those who took risks and apportion blame with a degree of 20/20 hindsight - and without establishing if the decisions people have taken were reasonable at the time. Now... I'm seeing an increased trend to use "risk" as something to hide behind, a tool to hinder, or a tool to prevent organisational change and progress.
Abraham Lincolm was credited with saying "Two things in life are certain... death and taxes" - Yep, we live in an uncertain world, a world where we have to make decisions on the back of some of these unknowns. Risk is therefore a concept we need to become increasingly familliar with, and indeed we all know the basic premises of it.... how many of us wait for all the traffic to stop and the "green man" to illuminate prior to crossing an otherwise clear road.
Now risk.... by taking risks we could have losses... a negative consequence, but by the same token a failure to take action can lead to the same eventual outcome. I'm working in environments these days where we are seeking to reduce risk by avoiding making decisions, and actively avoiding to take the risk itself, and the end result is a lack of change and a loss of business. - If progress is to be made in any field, we need to take calculated risks... we need to minimise the likelihood of the negative consequences, but we also need to recognise the positive outcomes, or oportunities, that taking a calculated risk entails.
Achieving progress requires change.... making change will introduce an element of risk, but provided we manage that risk appropriately to increase the likelihood of our successful outcome, the risk must be a positive thing.
Organisations cannot afford to become risk averse as a business will need to change to meet the needs of their consumers and markets in a changing world. The only human institution where a lack of change is percieved is the graveyard, and sadly by avoiding risk and missing oportunities this is where the risk averse have the potential of ending up.... the organisational grave yard.
