Risk Management is Not Seasonal

OK, I've had it. I do not want to see any more “Recession-Fear Pitches” in my inbox from public relations and marketing folks who represent business-to-business product and services companies.

These pitches inevitably begin with: “In challenging economic times …” or “As we sink into recession…” That opening is quickly followed with a vivid description of the nasty risk companies faces, which is followed with an explanation of how the risk has grown even nastier thanks to the economy, tight credit markets, layoffs or some other symptom of “Our Challenging Economic Times.”

I’m not sure what irks me more – the fear-mongering or the fact that these arguments really promote a highly reactive approach to managing a business.

Look, we’ve been in a recession for a year or more (which is always the case when a recession “strikes” – we can’t officially label it a recession until economists look back far enough in time). And you know what? Before the recession officially commenced, the times were pretty challenging as far as I recall. Unless you were printing money as an investment bank financier, you probably weren’t flying on automatic pilot as revenue growth compliantly increased each quarter and year.

Times are always challenging, and we should be prepared to respond – not react – when times become more challenging – as they always sometimes do. Yes, huge increases in layoffs do raise data-protection risks – BUT whoever is in charge of data protection ought to know that (and do something about it) when times are not as challenging as they are now.

If you’re pitching a service or product that helps manage a risk, please help your clients understand the value of managing risks at all times.