15.- RISK MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION.
Good communication is essential for any effective risk management strategy. Managing risks involves everyone in your organization: management board / committee, staff, customers, suppliers, anyone who comes into contact with your group. It's vital therefore that everybody in your organization understands what risk management is and why it is important, and that they are involved in developing and implementing a risk management strategy. You need to bring them into the process right from the start so they are not scared off and do not feel that decisions are being imposed from above. At the same time, members of your group should get the message that there is a commitment from leaders of your organization to effective risk management.
Implementing risk management may well require a significant culture shift in your group, affecting the way you operate at every level. Effective communication is therefore vital. You need to develop systems to ensure good communication between different levels of the organization, as well as a feedback loop - you don't want all the communication to be going one way. It's imperative that your communication is two - way. Provide information in as many ways as possible, and seek (and act on) feedback. This is an ongoing step. You need to be continually communicating what you're doing in relation to risk management and why you're doing it. You need to ensure you're clearly communicating risk management to everyone in your group, as well as external stakeholders who might be affected by the process and its outcomes, so that everyone is aware what's at stake.
There are many possible ways of communicating risk management to your organization:
- Meetings: getting everyone in one room - if that is possible - is possibly the best way to start the risk management process, so you can explain face to face what it is about and why you are doing it. Keep people up to date so they know that risk is being taken seriously and to encourage them to provide further input.
- Brainstorming sessions: brainstorming sessions are excellent communication tools because they make everyone feel involved.
- Emails, newsletters and bulletins: getting everyone to meetings is not always possible, so it's useful to put down on paper what's happening in risk management.
- Questionnaires / surveys: at the start of the risk management process and at critical steps along the way, it can be a good idea to send out a questionnaire to invite people to outline risks they perceive in your organization's activities, and ideas for their abatement.
- Write a guide: a risk management guide is an excellent tool for ensuring everyone involved in your organization is aware of risk management issues.
- Keeping it going: communication does not start and finish with a single meeting to explain the risk management strategy, or one notice on a noticeboard. You have to continue to communicate what you are doing, and why you are doing it, at every step of the risk management process. Take feedback seriously and remember to always ensure that you keep the context of your group in mind.