Organisation after organisation I am asked to help, see risk as a compliance activity. Something that is required to be done for the comfort of someone else, a regulator, the board or a sub-committee of the board.

One of my favourite questions I ask risk teams when training them in workshop facilitation is “Why do we do risk assessments?”

The answers usually range from 1) to identify key risks, to 2) to inform decision making. Both true but not the most exciting “Why”.

Then I show them the core part of Simon Sinek’s: Start with Why TedTalk. Next, I ask them why we really do risk assessments. And, sometimes with a little prompting, they come to the same conclusion I came to many moons ago. It is a complex world we operate in, and our role is to help teams make sense of their world. Sometimes it is opening their eyes to a world they thought they understood.

When people understand the purpose behind something, they show up differently. They’re not just compliant; they’re committed. They own it, they champion it, and they deliver on it.

Purpose is the fuel behind great execution. Without it, you’ll get mechanical delivery at best, and apathy at worst. When teams don’t connect with the ‘why’, decisions take longer to implement, and results suffer.

For C-suite leaders: Which of your teams are in highly complex environments and consider what their processes are for making sense of their world. If they are relying entirely on their day-to-day decision making rather than purpose designed decision support tools, it might be time to call in the risk team to facilitate a risk assessment.

For risk professionals: Reconsider your purpose as a facilitator of sensemaking. What do you bring to the table to help make that happen for those you serve. If you deliver sensemaking, you deliver great value and gain trust and a much stronger buy-in.