Is Your Project Risk Management Half-Full or Half-Empty?

Most business analysts would agree that the executive suites are filled with half-full types. It often takes a great deal of optimism to tackle the weighty responsibilities of leadership. As well, leaders need to feel that the impossible is possible. So often they are given goals that seem out of reach. For them to take on the challenge, they need a brand of optimism that will keep them feeling positive. After all, their work force needs the inspiration and confidence of the leadership to climb aboard the company train and work toward the journey’s end.

But there are some in the project risk management training arena that warn of the possible negative effects of this optimism. How could the half-full attitude possibly harm a project’s outcome?

It seems that leaders who regularly look on the bright side may discourage those in the ranks who feel that their hard work is being discounted. While they struggle with what may seem overwhelming challenges, leadership keeps intimating that the goals are easily within reach. Really? Imagine what it feels like to have leaders assume there’s nothing to it!

As a project team member tasked with producing results, you want leaders to acknowledge the hard work it will take. In addition, you may begin to feel that mistakes are not at all acceptable…and yet you know there will be some. So there is even more pressure to reach absolute perfection…after all, leaders keep underlining how easy it will be. Whew! This is not a healthy work environment. So as a leader, what can you do?

First, do not overstate the simplicity of the project ahead. Recognize that there is hard work to be done and challenges to overcome. Beyond that, create an environment where mistakes can be made…as long as employees learn from them. No project can be completed without a few glitches here and there.

Experiment with a process that a Nike design team called “risk and iterate.” Team members were allowed a certain amount of risk as they worked. They were freed from the standard of perfection at the start and began to innovate in ways they had not before. Perfection in their ultimate design was the goal. But they tested out designs and themes along the way, gathered feedback, adjusted, and tried again. The final product was the result of multiple iterations, a process that benefited from lots of trial and error.

As a leader, share your optimistic point of view but create an atmosphere where your work force is encouraged to explore…a little risk can take them further than even you imagined.