Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Executive Director
“Connect today to all your tomorrows. It matters.” – Gary Keller
I’ve just finished reading The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, by Gary Keller. The premise of the book is that achieving “extraordinary results” is “directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus.” This premise reminded me of the ambitious work plans and risk-inspired goals of the risk professionals NRMC encounters through our consulting engagements and Affiliate Member program.
I’m a compulsive maker of to-do-lists; they fill up post-it notes that ring my monitor at the office, clutter the Notes feature on my iPhone, and there’s even one titled “2017 House Projects” still tacked to my refrigerator at home. I’ve always thought that these lists were motivating, productivity enhancers. Keller dispenses with my naïve understanding of to-do lists. He writes that “To-do lists are a staple of the time-management-and-success industry. With our wants and others’ wishes flying at us right and left, we impulsively jot them down on scraps of paper in moments of clarity or build them methodically on printed notepads… though lists are invaluable, they have a dark side…” He cautions that a typical to-do list can easily become a tyrannical list of trivial tasks. These collections illustrate our best intentions but may not represent “A-List” items that will enable us to achieve ultimate goals.
Keller goes on to explain that “To-do lists tend to be long; success lists are short. One pulls you in all directions; the other aims you in a specific direction.” He urges readers to “Allow what matters most to drive your day,” and recapture the true meaning of priority. Whoa!
With Keller’s advice in mind, I want to challenge RISK eNews readers to identify the “ONE Thing” that could transport or transform risk management practice at your nonprofit. Alternatively, what’s the one risk you could zero in on this year that might make other risks less likely or less disruptive? Recently I told a new ERM client that “there is no prize for having the longest list of risks!” We often hear from consulting clients that they already have a long list of “what could go wrong” and that they are hoping my team will add a few unknown unknowns to the tally. Creating vast unwieldy lists exposes your team to what thought leader James Lam calls “Enterprise List Management” instead of Enterprise Risk Management. Gary Keller’s hierarchical framework for goal management is a refreshing method we can apply to the discipline of risk management.
This is a collapsed version of Keller’s “Goal Setting to the Now” framework, which actually includes five stages between “someday” and “right now.” The critical takeaway from Keller’s framework is focusing on a singular thing that will precipitate the most meaningful change. Start with the biggest picture, ‘someday’ goal for your risk management program; each subsequent step will work backward up the hierarchy, building to achieve that ultimate goal.
To identify the most critical risk-related ONE thing you’ll focus on, identify a big-picture, strategic goal for your program. Some examples could be:
Next, identify five-year and one-year goals for your risk function. For example:
Continue by identifying the essential goal, strategy, tactic or area of focus for right now. Your “right now” could be this year, this month or this week. For example:
Don’t get caught up in the planning fallacy: the tendency to underestimate the time it will take to complete a task or project. Connect the dots through each phase of your focused risk-plan and solidify a strategy to maintain the course and meet your objectives. If you need help settling on your “someday,” five-year or “right now” risk priorities, please reach out to the NRMC team! If you’re an Affiliate Member, we can help you on a pro bono basis as part of our RISK Help offering. If you’re not a member, let’s discuss how we can design a short-term consulting engagement or workshop to meet your needs.
Melanie Lockwood Herman is the Executive Director of the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. She welcomes your “ONE Thing” ideas for risk practice at your nonprofit! Contact her at Melanie@nonprofitrisk.org or 703.777.2504 to chat about Risk Goal Setting for the Now.
“First let me congratulate you on a conference well done. I had a great time at the Nonprofit Employee Benefits Conference and walked away with some valuable tools and questions that we’ll need to be addressing in both the short and long term. Thanks to you and your staff for all you do to provide us with quality resources in support of our missions.”
“BBYO’s engagement of the Center to conduct a risk assessment was one of the most valuable processes undertaken over the past five years. Numerous programmatic and procedural changes were recommended and have since been implemented. Additionally, dozens (literally) of insurance coverage gaps were identified that would never have been without the work of the Center. This assessment led to a broker bidding process that resulted in BBYO’s selection of a new broker that we have been extremely satisfied with. I unconditionally recommend the Center for their consultative services.
“Melanie Herman has provided expert, insightful, timely and well resourced information to our Executive Team and Board of Directors. Our corporation recently experienced massive growth through merger and the Board has been working to better integrate their expanded set of roles and responsibilities. Melanie presented at our Annual Board of Director’s Retreat and captured the interest of our Board members. As a result of her excellent presentation the Board has engaged in focused review which is having immediate effects on governance.”
“The Nonprofit Risk Management Center has been an outstanding partner for us. They are attentive to our needs, and work hard to successfully meet our requests for information. Being an Affiliate member gave us access to so many time- and money-saving resources that it easily paid for itself! Nonprofit Risk Management Center is truly a valued partner of The Community Foundation of Elkhart County and we are continuously able to optimize staff time with the support given by their team.”
“The board and staff of the Prince George’s Child Resource Center are extremely pleased with the results of the risk assessment conducted by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. A thorough scan revealed that while we are a well run organization, we had risks that we never imagined. We are grateful to know that we have now minimized our organizational risks and we recommend the Center to other nonprofits.”
Great American Insurance Group’s Specialty Human Services is committed to protecting those who improve your communities. The Center team has committed to delivering dynamic risk management solutions tailored to nonprofit organizations. These organizations have many and varied risk issues, hence the need for specialized coverage and expert knowledge for their protection. We’ve had Melanie speak on several occasions to employees and our agents. She is always on point and delivers such great value. Thank you for the terrific partnership and allowing our nonprofits to focus on their mission!