How Do You Look At Risk?

Have you ever noticed that what you look for determines what you see? Not quite as obvious perhaps as it sounds.

Take 15 seconds to count all the red things in your room. Now tell me how many brown things you saw.

Now take 15 seconds and count all the brown things you can see. You’ve probably counted far more?

What we focus our attention on determines what we see. Not looking for something, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

Many of us hear the word risk and uncertainty and we think of things like failure (like it is a bad thing), being wrong, embarrassment. We see only the things we want to avoid.

We draw upon the knowledge, experiences and observations we have about what might go wrong. What the losses might be, the discomfort that we want to avoid.

Our calculations, judgements or decisions become subject to unconscious biases. Limit our thinking as we wrestle with the threats and fears that risk and uncertainty trigger.

Limiting the opportunities we are yet to encounter, because all we look for and see, is loss aversion based. We forget that we have courage, resilience and learning to gain. Not to mention the untold things we can’t yet see because we haven’t yet encountered them.

With more self awareness, insight and understanding in to our relationship with risk, decision making, and judgements, we are able to reframe how we interact and respond to risk and uncertainty. Not to become reckless, or fearless. Not overly confident when we may lack competence.

To have less fear. To be driven to test the limits of our own potential, not limited by the fear of risk and uncertainty. To be curious and courageous. To see what’s on the other side of the decisions we make, to be braver than we’ve been before.

So next time you see risk and uncertainty, make sure you don’t just count the losses and the threats that you see.

Look for the opportunities and the gains. The spaces where possibility lies that you can’t yet see, the learning that is up for grabs, the places you will move further forwards, no matter what the outcome.

The gains you make as a person, to the person you are becoming, for having made a brave decision. With purpose, meaning and intention.