Another question from my masterclass on “How to run an impactful risk workshop” was:

“Have you used or encountered use of a cross-sectional risk methodology
e.g. run finance/budget related risk workshops for a department and invite a
Finance SME to facilitate?”

My answer: “No I haven’t but what a great idea!”

What I do recommend is that you have internal stakeholders attend whenever you run a risk workshop. They could be customers of yours or they may be suppliers. They learn more about your business challenges and become more understanding as a minimum. More likely they give independent views and ask interesting questions that make the team think differently. I find them highly valuable participants.

The other benefit to you is that they change. Internal suppliers provide you a better service and internal customers work more cooperatively with you.

If you have an SME facilitate a risk workshop (well) for a team, I’m sure that workshop would rock. It’s another way to spice things up – a topic I dealt with a couple of weeks ago.

Criss Crossing is also an antidote to the effect of silos in organisations. They break them down by ensuring communication is improved between them. Which leads me to one more question asked in the masterclass on risk workshops:

“What are the main indicators of business unit silos and how do we begin to
overcome them?”

My answer: “There are no indicators. They simply exist. We put people into business units which mean we put people into silos. They must be dealt with.”

Hence the need to Criss Cross!