I once had a salesperson tell me
“Let’s not say the word risk” to a client.
[A few moments later…]
After seeing the look of immense confusion on my face he added,
“You know, the word risk might turn them off.”
Turn them off… to what?
To knowing what risk was?
To having an honest discussion about their study?
Or…
To acknowledge somebody didn’t like board games?
[I mean if it’s Monopoly then sure]
I never got a clear answer,
Although my sense was more bad experience from salesperson
Rather than client.
But why worry about discussing risk?
Risks are everywhere.
Some easy to see, others not as much,
Some costly, others a quicker fix,
And many we handle without even realizing it.
When we drive,
We see a car ahead of us and think,
“What will I do if they pull in front of me.”
That’s being aware of risk – is that a bad thing?
At the office,
We see cables laying across the floor and think,
“Yikes – what would happen if someone tripped on those.”
That’s being aware of risk – is that a bad thing?
When we shift careers,
Joining a new company or taking a different role and think,
“I’ve never done this but I can find a way to do it.”
Again, being aware of risk – and definitely not a bad thing.
Can you imagine a driving instructor saying,
“Please don’t mention what others drivers may do
In case it scares you away from driving.”
Just. Plain. Silly.
What the salesperson forgot is
Strategists don’t search for risks out of fear,
Some fascination with struggles or problems.
We find risks so we can solve them or
Use them to our advantage.
Risks are part of a strategic mindset.
Assessing, identifying.
Proactively fixing dangerous ones
Before they happen
[Preferably]
And taking advantage of beneficial ones
To try new things, innovate,
And change the status quo.
So whenever you hear,
“We don’t talk about risk,”
Stop, and ask yourself,
Is that actually the bigger risk?
