Redefining risk for an international healthcare manufacturer

The client wanted to evolve its ways of working concerning risk management. Whilst their ability to identify risks was evident, the rigour around risk mitigation was not established and with no common method to frame the risk, or proactive way of tackling risks, this often led to abandoned projects, under-resourced mitigation plans, or delays due to slow decision making. This, coupled with a very risk-averse culture resulted in innovation falling behind, or coming in late compared to the competition. The need was to set them up on a journey to look at risk through a positive lens and equip them to get better at predicting risk and focussing their efforts on increasing the probability of success.

Skarbek designed, developed and delivered a bespoke 3 half-day intense risk management programme with the client to first establish the current organisational context for risk, but also to further participants’ knowledge and ability to effectively analyse risk, identify and focus on points of vulnerability and take action to increase their probability of success. Through the introduction of new tools and techniques, such as the ‘pre-mortem’ approach, ‘McRaven graphs’*, and the ‘delivery confidence assessment’, the team were able to develop new tactics to accurately assess and report on risks and therefore prioritise and resource appropriately.

*A Skarbek developed technique inspired by William McRaven’s analysis of success factors in Special Operations Missions.

The Skarbek-led programme provided the client with:

• A fully aligned cross-functional team with a re-focussed and forward-looking risk management framework, using common language, messaging and methodology to better manage risk.
• A new perspective and ability to drive quality risk analysis and identify actions that address risks pro-actively.
• Ongoing action plan and upskilled team with new tools and techniques that can be implemented immediately, enabling streamlined communication across functions and the ability to improve innovation delivery.
• A transformed mindset within the team towards a more positive culture around risk, an elevated ability to look at risks as opportunities and raise their project probability of success.
• This programme was evaluated very highly (4.5 / 5) by the 60+ participants and the tools and techniques used were voted to be simple, easily implementable and, once implemented, of very high value to the risk ways of working.