On Friday I was meeting with a GM of a major bank.  A non-risk professional working in the “Line 1” which is risk speak for the first line of defence in the Three Lines of Defence (3LOD) risk management model.  I commented that the biggest challenge facing the risk profession was getting our message across.  That too often we speak in a language that is foreign to a Line 1 manager.

He piped in with “And some say nothing.”  He went on to explain that he had to hire a senior Line 1 Risk Professional.  He had an interview set up with someone internal who had been recommended to him.  Immediately before the interview he was in a meeting.  About 8 people were in the meeting and two of them said nothing.

Sure enough, as he walked into the interview the Line 1 prospect sitting in front of him was one of the two that had said nothing.  His mind was made up before the conversation started.

Do you speak up?  When you don’t speak up, why don’t you?