Are You Making These Risk
Management Mistakes?
Bryan Barrow
CITP MAPM MBCS MPSA
©2019 Bryan Barrow
YOU’RE	ALWAYS	AT	RISK
ONE	SLIP	MEANS	DISASTER
XX	
•  xx	
you	must	avoid	mistakes
BRYAN BARROW: BIO
•  Former Chair of the APM’s
specific interest group (SIG)
on Risk Management
•  Author of ‘The Project
Management Workshop Handbook’,
‘Stakeholder Management’ and
‘Project Definition’
•  Creator of the ‘Index Card
Planning’ technique
TODAY’S AGENDA
•  Why manage risk?
•  10 risk management mistakes
most people make
•  The truth about ‘Black Swans’
•  How to spot bad apples
•  Why you need a realistic Plan A
•  How to create Plan B, your risk
management plan
time
cost
target max
target
max
THIS IS WHERE WE SHOULD BE
time
cost
target max
target
max
THIS IS SEEN AS ACCEPTABLE
time
cost
target max
target
max
WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THIS?
Ame	
cost	
INSTEAD OF TIME VS. COST
target max
target
max
Ame	
risk	
LOOK AT TIME VS. RISK
target max
100%
Ame	
risk	
LOOK AT TIME VERSUS RISK
target max
100%
BLACK SWANS
“The greatest IT risk facing
most companies is more
prosaic than a catastrophe.
It is, simply, overspending.”
Nicholas G. Carr,
Author and Commentator
“ THE AVERAGE
PROJECT
SCHEDULE OVERRUN
IS 70%”
SOURCE:	HARVARD	BUSINESS	REVIEW	(Sep	2011),	“Why	Your	IT	Project	May	Be	Riskier	Than	You	Think”
“ THE AVERAGE
PROJECT
COST OVERRUN IS
27%”
SOURCE:	HARVARD	BUSINESS	REVIEW	(Sep	2011),	“Why	Your	IT	Project	May	Be	Riskier	Than	You	Think”
“17%
OF PROJECTS HAD A
COST OVERRUN OF
200%”
SOURCE:	HARVARD	BUSINESS	REVIEW	(Sep	2011),	“Why	Your	IT	Project	May	Be	Riskier	Than	You	Think”
TOP 10 MISTAKES
•  People Mistakes
•  Process Mistakes
•  Publicity Mistakes
PEOPLE MISTAKES
1.  Not Involving your Team
2.  Ignoring People Risks
3.  Assuming the Worst Can’t
Happen
PROCESS MISTAKES
4.  Not identifying specific
risks
5.  No contingency planning
6.  Mistaking risks for issues
7.  Not looking for new risks
PUBLICITY MISTAKES
8.  Not publicising risks to
stakeholders
9.  Excluding partners from
risk reviews
AND FINALLY . . .
10.  Having no risk
management plans
whatsoever!
FAILURE IS INFECTIOUS
THROW AWAY BAD APPLES
IS THIS PROJECT WORTH IT?
Benefits	
Costs
IS THIS PROJECT WORTH IT?
Benefits	
Costs
IS THIS PROJECT WORTH IT?
Benefits	Planned	
costs	
Costs	to	
manage	risks	
ConHngency	
costs		
Benefits
USE INDEX CARD PLANNING
IDENFITY RISKS BY DELIVERABLE
QUANTIFY USING REAL NUMBERS
CREATE BACKUP PLANS
COMMUNICATE RISKS
SECURE COMMITMENT
AGREE FUNDING FOR RISKS
FOCUS ON TOP 10 RISKS
80%	of	
problems	
issues	and	
delays	
20%	
of	risks
REVIEW RISKS WEEKLY
10 mins
Step 5
Other
Business
10 mins
Step 1
Review
Actions
20 mins
Step 2
Review
Progress
10 mins
Step 3
Review
top 10
risks
10 mins
Step 4
Review
top 10
issues
Ame	
risk	
WHAT HAPPENS TO RISK . . .
target max
100%
THIS IS THE RESULT
Benefits	Planned	
Actual				
costs	
Costs	to	
manage	risks	 Benefits
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Books (available on Amazon):
Services:
•  Index Card Planning Training
•  Project Kickoff Workshop Facilitation
visit http://bryanbarrow.com/
HOW TO TO CONNECT WITH ME
Bryan Barrow
CITP MAPM MBCS MPSA
Tel:
+(44) 7954 435456
Email:
bryan@bryanbarrow.com
Web:
bryanbarrow.com
Skype:
bryanbarrow
Twitter:
@bryanbarrow
END CREDITS
LOLO	JONES	 ©	The	Guardian	
BLACK	SWAN	 Birdaspoetry	via	Photopin.com	
DOMINOES	 Unknown	
BAD	APPLES	 Rore	via	Photopin.com	
INDEX	CARDS	 ©	Bryan	Barrow	
INDEX	CARD	PLANNING	WORKSHOP	 ©	Bryan	Barrow	
CALCULATOR	 Fidler	Jan	via	Morguefile.com	
PLAN	B	 Unknown	
LOUD	HAILER	 Unknown	
TRAFFIC	LIGHTS	 Unknown	
PIGGY	BANK	 Unknown	
BRYAN	BARROW	SPEAKING		 ©	European	Commission	
“Are	You	Making	These	Risk	Management	Mistakes”	©2019	Bryan	Barrow

Are you making these risk management mistakes? Bryan Barrow