| Beating IT Risks is quite different in perspective from beating a drum – which
tends to be monotonal. The book is more like a entire symphony in which all
of the voices are in intricate interrelationships. Enabling the reader to learn to
understand the big picture as well as the details is perhaps its most significant
contribution.
Every time we take a plane we are riding on a pinnacle of risk. The 400 tons of
‘impossibility’ takes off, gets to our destination and lands – almost always! We
take the risk for business opportunities, recreation or just the fun of it. The world
is one where we take risks, all the time. It is part of the human condition. It is
also part of the business condition. Some of the risks come to the front of our
radar; others fade into the background, of others we remain unaware. Logically,
we would expect the higher risks to be up on the radar, and the lower risks to be
in the background, but that is often not the case.
We need to take risks in every business venture. There is always a possibility
that things won’t work out as expected. But it is essential that we do take risks.
Any active strategy involves clear risks – that may make it unattractive – but a
passive, do-nothing strategy also has risks. Typically these are not as clear and so
are not as daunting. The important thing is to know what the risks are, to be
aware of them and to have options available when the unfortunate eventuates. |
