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I was a competitive distance
runner for about 15 years, and
in all that time of racing, one
day stands above the others.
It was May 1984, and I was
beginning to understand how
the specifics of my training
translated into race results. On
this particular day, with clear
air and cool temperatures, I
had chosen a race with just the
right competition.
I pulled through the first mile
on the shoulder of a faster run-
ner, and as we entered a down-
hill stretch, we were flying. I felt
smooth; the long, hard intervals
on the track were paying off.
When things go perfectly in
a race, there is little conscience
thought. Thinking invites doubt
and forces you to take an
inventory of pain. It’s
to be avoided. In its
place is concentration,
a firm focus on the task
at hand. For me, in this
race, my single focus
was holding on, and
it resulted in the
fastest 5K I had
ever run.
I should
have been
ecstatic. Cele-
bration should
have been in
order, but there
was a potential
problem. I was running
a 10K race.
Continuing at the pace I
was running was risky. I knew
there was a chance that I would
falter, but I also knew I had an
opportunity to run an incredibly
fast time. Knowing that I had
prepared myself to handle the
challenge, I pressed on.
You can’t earn a reward
without taking risk, but wild
abandonment is a poor strat-
egy. Success is most likely to
occur when you take reason-
able risk while managing the
potential pitfalls.
Today, I work as a compli-
ance and risk officer for an
insurance company, and the
fundamentals I apply in my work
are much the same as those I
applied in the years when I was
a competitive runner.
Here are four things I
learned through running that
you can apply as you man-
age the risks of your
organization.
Principles Guide
In order to be a successful
distance runner, you have to
develop certain qualities. With-
out discipline and fortitude,
you won’t get very far. I didn’t
realize it at the time, but as I
was crafting those disciplines
through running, I was develop-
ing the guiding principles that
would ultimately govern my life.
In business, this equates to a
company culture.
If you want to manage or-
ganizational risk effectively,
you need to cultivate a culture
of trust and communication. A
strong moral fiber that values
your reputation in the market-
place and in your community
will, in and of itself, help you
avoid taking on risks that might
ultimately lead to failure.
On a Mission
Before you can effectively
manage risk, you need clearly
stated objectives. Risks,
after all, are simply
the obstacles
that might
keep you from
reaching your
goals. So set
goals you
can be pas-
sionate about,
and then iden-
tify the risks that
might keep you
from reaching them.
Take Control
When you are a competi-
tive distance runner, an injury
can disrupt an entire season.
Knowing this was a danger, I
took steps to avoid injury. Once
you’ve identified the key risks of
your organization, assess what
you are doing to control them.
If the controls are lacking, take
steps to improve them.
“If you want
to manage
organizational
risk effectively,
you need to
cultivate a culture
of trust and
communication.”
Business and Running
By
Dave
Griffin
Lessons in managing risk
Fall
2016
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Inside
Outdoor
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