Gregory D' Githens, PMP, NPDP

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Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment

• Gregory D. Githens, PMP, NPDP
• Catalyst Management Consulting
• gdg_at_CatalystPM.com
• [phone]

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In the next few minutes, I will.
Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment

• Explain why team-based risk assessment is an
  excellent buy in tool
• Provide some risk identification tools for your
  toolbox
• Discuss why manage risks differently than issues
• Help you recognize common project problems so you
  can take early action

develop your Personal Action Plan
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Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment
Why Do Projects Perform Poorly, or Even Fail?
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Too Many Red Flags
Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment
?
?
Red Flag

True

False

Weighting

Insufficient staff



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Lack of market information



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Dysfunctional teamwork



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Insufficient financing



9

Unrealistic time frame



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Lack of focus



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Lack of management support



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Technical li
mitations



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Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment
What Concerns and Fears Do Individuals Have at
the Start of Projects?
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Benefits a Team-Based Risk Clinic
Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment
Weve avoided significant , delays, and
frustration
This is the first time weve seen the big
picture
Im enthused about participating in this
project
What a Creative Idea!
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Ten-Step Process
Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment

• 1 - Prepare -Conduct initial research and agenda
  setting.
• 2 - Build communications with common language
• 3 - Generate a list of the teams concerns
• 4 - Classify - Group risks and issues into
  categories for further action.
• 5 - Analyze the risk

• 6 - Prioritize risks and issues
• 7 - Plan risk responses and manage issues
• 8 - Integrate risk responses in program strategy
  and document project baseline commitments
• 9 - Execute and control the risk response
  strategy
• 10 - Learning from risk management activities

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Level Set on Terms Concepts
Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment

• Build common language and vocabulary

Concerns
Glossary
Common Terms
Issues
Risks
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What About R.A.I.D.
Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment

• R -Risk
• A - Assumption
• I - Issue
• D - Dependency (schedule, resource, or technical)

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Prospective Hindsight
Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment

• Vividly imagine yourself near the conclusion of
  your project.
• It is an abysmal failure. How do things look?
  How do you feel? What is being said?
• Personalize and take responsibility for the
  result. Dont rationalize or blame an outside
  force.
• Now, imagine one or more failure scenarios that
  got you to that failure

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Risk ? Issues
Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment

• A river issues from the source
• You can manage the river (somewhat)
• Inadequate resources for a project are certain to
  happen it is an issue
• Scope is likely to change it is an issue
• Risks (discrete events) still occur
• Sometimes it floods over the banks and dams
• Sometimes it dries up and is in-navigable

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Semantics are at the Heart of Effective
Communications
Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment

• Risk criterion Maybe it will happen, maybe it
  wont
• Issues criteria It has happened, Is happening,
  Will happen

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Assumptions Analysis
Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment

• Definition Assumptions are factors that, for
  planning purposes, will be considered true, real,
  or certain.
• Strategic Assumptions
• Estimating Assumptions

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Response Planning and Control
Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment

• Issues
• Open
• Closed
• Investigation responsibility
• Decision responsibility

• Risk Response options
• Avoidance - action to avoid exposure to the risk
  event
• Mitigation - lowering the probability or impact
• Acceptance - accepting the risk and consequences.
  Active acceptance is use of a contingency plan.
  Passive acceptance is accepting lower profits
• Transfer - gives another party ownership of risk
  event and response

Every project should include periodic review of
the RISK LIST and of the ISSUES LIST.
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Responsibility
Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment
The Ability to Choose Your Response
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I was only following orders
Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment
I am guilty of having been obedient.the top
echelons, to which I did not belong, gave the
orders, and theyrightly deserved punishment for
the atrocities which were perpetuated on the
victims on their orders -Adolf Eichmanns
statement to the court after being found guilty
of war crimes (the Holocaust). He was later
executed.
The Eichmann DefenseStill Lives On
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Courage
Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment

• Team-based risk assessment
• Highlights interfaces, and a system-wide view
• Encourages ownership
• Overcomes compartmentalization of information
  being distributed and delegated
• Encourages objective, factual information
• Minimizes blaming

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Thank You!
Tips for Team-Based Risk Assessment

• What can you as a PM or executive do to encourage
  more fact based management?
• What are your key learnings from this session?
• What is your personal action plan?

I welcome your questions and feedback Greg
Githens, PMP, NPDP gdg_at_catalystpm.com 419-424-116
4 www.CatalystPM.com