Who is it for?

HR directors, finance directors, heads of audit and of strategy, who need to work together on the fundamentals of organisational performance, risk management and effective corporate governance.

Overview

While increasing attention has been devoted in recent years to risk assessment and management, a mainly quantitative approach has resulted in major risks not being recognised until too late. Many of these have related to people - as the 2009 Walker report implies. HR should be prepared to play a pivotal role, working collaboratively with other functions to improve the quality of risk management.

Content

The research will address the following issues, with a worldwide perspective.

• How the limitations of a largely numerical approach have created simplistic and backward-looking views of risk, and hence the need to master ‘soft' as well as hard data
• The importance of in-depth understanding of risk factors in order to avoid devising ‘controls' and measures that miss the point, create a false sense of security among internal and external stakeholders, and suffocate innovation and effective performance
• The limited attention given hitherto to defining people risks - preliminary CRF work has identified more than 15 areas of risk to be managed
• Determining fit-for-purpose measures and methods of managing people risks

Achieving an in-depth understanding of risk management is important in enabling HR to contribute meaningfully to critical strategic debates, and to move from a reactive to a proactive stance, and collaborate effectively with functions such as Audit. The report and the workshop to follow will explore areas in which OD insights and techniques can be applied to identify and manage risk, such as

• Developing a pro-active risk culture - enabling better judgements through the workforce about how to balance risk and opportunity
• Assessment and development methods, whether for senior employees, rising talent, key knowledge workers, or staff in ambassadorial roles, including identification of ‘derailers'
• Governance disciplines - at board and other levels
• Decision support - especially for high stakes strategic decisions like M&As
• Organisational design and restructuring
• Competencies required for a more sophisticated, holistic approach to risk management.

Workshop Leaders and Report Authors

Andrew Lambert, who played a critical role in developing the concept of the employer brand, will facilitate this workshop. Andrew co-founded CRF, leads its research, designs workshops and advises members on policy issues. Prior to co-founding CRF, Andrew was MD of People in Business, a founder director of Smythe Dorward Lambert, and director of Wolff Olins, the corporate identity specialists. He also ran communications functions for TSB and Midland Montagu. He has authored many CRF reports, and has provided consultancy to over 90 organisations on management and communication issues.

David Cooper, formerly a senior accountant specialising in risk with Arthur Andersen, and now the Chief Occupational Psychologist at Praesta International, the leading coaching firm.

 

Wednesday 8 September 2010

09:00 - Registration

09:30 - Introductions

09:40 - Initial discussion at tables

10:00 - Overview of research

10:40 - TEA & COFFEE BREAK

11:00 - Panel of HR practitioners

11:40 - Group discussion

12:30 - LUNCH

13:15 - Feedback from groups and plenary discussion

14:00 - Panel of experts

14:45 - Summing up

15:00 - Meeting close

Trinity House
Trinity Square
Tower Hill
London EC3N 4DH

To view a map of the Event's location please click here.