When things get confusing I always rely on a handy model, image or diagram to clarify things. So it was often frustruting for me when, in the early days of … Continue reading Separating risks and issues (or not…)
Category: Risk and uncertainty
Managing uncertainty with Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg is running to be the Democratic candidate for the 2020 US presidential race. He’s spent a long time deciding if he should do it; he’s starting after other … Continue reading Managing uncertainty with Michael Bloomberg
Find agreement by examining strategies
When I listen to three-way interviews on news programmes I’m often struck by how unconstructive they are. This is particularly apparent when the item is about a split within a … Continue reading Find agreement by examining strategies
The vastness of risk management
Many people think of risk management as focusing on operational issues (supply chain, competitors, etc). Too often we picture it as a “risk listing” exercise—think what might go wrong, write … Continue reading The vastness of risk management
Beware the peripheral variables when evaluating technologies
For the last couple of weeks my wife has been trying out an electric pedal bike, as part of an environmental scheme to promote awareness and—it is hoped—adoption. Electric bikes … Continue reading Beware the peripheral variables when evaluating technologies
Rethinking risk appetite
In previous blog posts I’ve expressed my reservation about the idea of “risk appetite”. This personal concern is rooted in the idea that it seems a somewhat esoteric concept, especially … Continue reading Rethinking risk appetite
Exposing and exploiting variables in quiz games
I’ve frequently said managing uncertainty can be done by exposing and exploiting variables. We over-simplify when we express risk as a single point (“There’s a 40% change this will happen”) … Continue reading Exposing and exploiting variables in quiz games
Requirements are entangled with design
The other day I was having a conversation with someone about requirements and software design. We had a description for a small system, and I was saying “this is the … Continue reading Requirements are entangled with design
Are things outside your control? Think again
Some time ago I was involved in a practical example of shifting a team’s approach from a fatalistic “what’s going to happen is going to happen” to something more practical. … Continue reading Are things outside your control? Think again
Measure without numbers
I was in a meeting a while back discussing the introduction of new key performance indicators (KPIs) for a team. The group was understandably cautious about what we might be … Continue reading Measure without numbers
