Category Archives: Working with Risk

Making your best decision

You make several decisions every day, some without much conscious thought. But, every once in a while you’re challenged to make a difficult decision… either in your work, or in life in general. So, how confident are you that you’re making the best decision you can in those circumstances?

I’ve been working in and alongside a range of health and social care services since the mid-1980’s, and I’ve been involved in a wide range of big decisions. The following link offers a training session on what I take into account when making those decisions myself, or supporting others to make their big decisions.

https://event.webinarjam.com/register/25/w0y8gaoo

Our narrow focus on risk assessment and risk management may be deflecting us away from what is THE core skill… confident and reasoned risk decision-making. I’ve published the books and manuals on the subject over many years, but now I’m creating that information in a more easily accessible digital format. What have you got to lose… apart from a short amount of your valuable time? Click on the following link to get instant access to a FREE training webinar outlining my 5 simple steps to making better decisions:

https://event.webinarjam.com/register/25/w0y8gaoo

This takes my original concept of positive risk-taking and puts it into practical use.

6 Influences on Making Better Risk Decisions

20 years of consultancy, including working with a small caseload of brain injury case management clients, is a milestone to note. So, I’m currently enrolled on Amy Porterfield’s Digital Course Academy, with the intention of developing a new digital course targeted specifically for busy practitioners in healthcare and brain injury fields of work.

The focus will be on supporting people to make those challenging risk decisions with greater confidence. Access the following link for a FREE report

https://positiverisktaking.lpages.co/making-better-risk-decisions

I can’t banish the endless need for bureaucratic tick-box approaches to risk assessment. However, I can help people by providing non-bureaucratic guidance that helps in the moment of decision-making. The report outlines some of the influences that we should all be aware of. The course (in development) will provide much more detailed guidance, emerging out of my decades of experience, including the initiaiting of the concept of Positive Risk-Taking back in 1994. 

Why Positive Risk-Taking is so misunderstood

‘A horse walked into a bar…’ (you can make up the rest… my version is that the bartender asked “what’s with the long face?”) So, you think you know what Positive Risk-Taking is… well, get it from the horse’s mouth…

A horse walks into a bar

There is no ‘Positive Risk’ in Positive Risk-Taking! Yet I have long since lost count of the number of times I have heard the phrase, such as “I am taking a positive risk.” What does that even mean?

As the person who initiated the concept back in 1994, I have always been very clear in communicating precisely what the phrase means.

And why should this even matter? Well, if you are not clear in what you are communicating, the oft-repeated message in all of those incident inquiries that “… communication broke down” will inevitably continue to be the case.

Ask 10 people what ‘Positive Risk’ means, and you might just get at least 11 different answers. For me, the positive is NOT about the risk; it IS about the outcomes. Why do we take a risk? Because we want to gain the benefit of the positive outcome of such an action.

Positive Risk-Taking is at the root of best practice in risk decision-making. It embodies a structured approach to clearly reasoned risk decisions.

To find out more about how good risk assessment practice informs the concept, and the role of mindset in making challenging risk decisions with confidence, check out my FREE training webinar by using the following link:

https://positiverisktaking.lpages.co/risk-aversion-risk-taking-webinar

Consistency in the use and understanding of language across our organisations is essential for underpinning best practice.

Positive Risk-Taking webinar

So you think you know what ‘Positive Risk-Taking‘ is? Well, reflect again on that statement, as I created it back in 1994, and I have come across many people who lazily misinterpret the language and get the true meaning wrong.

Are you occasionally, or often maybe, confronted with a need to make a challenging risk decision? Well, if so, read on, as I have good news for you…

Logo 2019

Click on the link below to register for instant access to my latest webinar, outlining 5 simple steps to clear and confident risk decision-making. The webinar outlines my original creation of the concept of Positive Risk-Taking, along with access to a comprehensive range of resources for implementing best practice.

https://positiverisktaking.lpages.co/risk-aversion-risk-taking-webinar

10th EuroSciCon Conference

Congratulations to all who attended and contributed to the Paris Conference (11-12 April 2019) on Psychiatry, Psychology & Brain Studies.

A small but truly global event, as I had the opportunity to introduce contributions from Australia, Russia, Malaysia, India, Brazil, USA and UK. Thanks particularly go on Day 1 to Torie Robinson, Greg Robin and Paul Lang for their inspiring personal stories.

Also, thanks go to the Day 1 audience for their enthusiastic receiving of my keynote presentation on Good Practice in Risk Decision-Making incorporating the concept of Positive Risk-Taking that I created back in 1994. Look out for forthcoming webinar presentations and access to a full Membership Site underpinning the concept of  Positive Risk-Taking through the intricacies of working with risk.

Who’s fault is the blame game?

Who can we blame, who is at fault? These are natural questions to be asked when something has gone wrong, but are they a help or a hindrance to implementing good practice? In this video I challenge the value of adopting a blame game.

 

Use the following link to also access a free training webinar which introduces my simple 5-step process to risk decision-making, which also form the core modules of the Positive Risk-Taking Membership Site:

https://app.webinarjam.net/register/21360/99e6026a97

Making risk decisions

Risk decisions are challenging, and can be difficult, but should not be governed by fear and a ‘what if’ syndrome. In this video I use four separate quotes to help us reflect on our decision-making processes.

 

Use the following link to also access a free training webinar which introduces my simple 5-step process to risk decision-making, which also form the core modules of the Positive Risk-Taking Membership Site:

https://app.webinarjam.net/register/21360/99e6026a97

Risk averse decisions

Is there a place for risk averse decisions in the concept of positive risk-taking? In this video I explore the importance of following a structured approach in order to achieve the best decision in each individual situation.

 

Use the following link to also access a free training webinar which introduces my simple 5-step process to risk decision-making, which also form the core modules of the Positive Risk-Taking Membership Site:

https://app.webinarjam.net/register/21360/99e6026a97

Suicide risk assessment doesn’t work!

In this video I reflect on a Scientific American journal article reviewing two meta-analyses of suicide risk assessment research. Our focus on the process of risk assessment can detract from the application of the more useful skills of clinical engagement… discuss!

 

Use the following link to also access a free training webinar which introduces my simple 5-step process to risk decision-making, which also form the core modules of the Positive Risk-Taking Membership Site:

https://app.webinarjam.net/register/21360/99e6026a97

Principles of working with risk

Groucho Marx said “These are my principles, and if you don’t like them, well… I have others.” In this video I outline a number of principles of best practice when we are working with risk.

 

Use the following link to also access a free training webinar which introduces my simple 5-step process to risk decision-making, which also form the core modules of the Positive Risk-Taking Membership Site:

https://app.webinarjam.net/register/21360/99e6026a97