MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Abilities

Which area or field do you primarily work in?

Strategic Planning

Write a one-sentence vision for scaling—does it capture growth, market focus, and long-term ambition?

List your top 3 priorities—do they drive sustainable growth or just put out short-term fires?

Review last year’s growth plan—highlight what remains relevant and what needs reframing now.

Compare your scale-up vision with a competitor’s—what is your sharpest unique differentiator?

Flag one initiative misaligned with vision—pause, pivot, or reshape it for scale.

Draw a pyramid: vision > goals > actions—fill it with your scaling roadmap today.

Operational Execution

Spot one stalled initiative—assign ownership and ensure it moves forward by end of day.

Review today’s to-dos—highlight the top 3 that truly accelerate scale, and start those now.

Build a repeatable checklist for a recurring scaling process—cut errors and save time.

Apply the 80/20 rule—focus most effort on scaling levers with outsized impact.

Schedule a 15-min daily check—review progress on scaling deliverables consistently.

Block calendar slots for growth priorities—protect scaling time from meeting overload.

Performance Monitoring

Pick one scaling KPI—decide how often you’ll review it, and start this week.

Build a simple growth dashboard—even a sheet—tracking your 3 scaling KPIs.

Add one review line in team meetings: “What did we advance toward scale this week?”

Review your OKRs—pick one lacking a clear success metric—fix it immediately.

Send a quick performance recap—update your leadership team on scaling progress.

Create a visual tracker for one initiative—update it in every scaling check-in.

Market Analysis

Search how fast-growth peers describe themselves—what resonates most with their target audience?

Skim recent reviews—spot the needs of customers scaling with you and note trends.

Identify one trend in your market—note its opportunities or threats for your scaling plan.

Use LinkedIn or trends data—spot what’s rising or fading in your scaling market.

Update personas using recent leads—check fit for your scaling market segments.

List 5 criteria customers use to choose providers—test them with scaling prospects.

Branding and Positioning

Rewrite your elevator pitch—make it bold, scalable, and centered on customer outcomes.

Write 3 things making your brand stand out—check if your website highlights them clearly.

Refresh your LinkedIn bio—highlight your value as a founder scaling impact.

Check tone across channels—is your branding consistent and bold during growth?

Ask a peer to sum your brand in 5 words—see if it matches your intended scale image.

Add a story-driven element to your pitch—show how scaling impacts customers directly.

Digital Marketing Strategy

Identify your strongest digital channel—test one scaling campaign there this week.

Set one digital growth goal—define metrics to track progress beyond vanity numbers.

Check your analytics—spot one insight showing customer behavior as your company scales.

Test a fresh CTA on your landing page—track clicks and compare to your scaling baseline.

Track your last campaign’s open rates—test a sharper hook in the next message.

Optimize your link-in-bio—align it with your current scaling campaign focus.

Negotiation Skills

Define walk-away terms for an upcoming deal—be clear on boundaries before entering talks.

Replace one weak negotiation phrase you often use with something firm and clear today.

Review a recent deal email—was your anchor strong? If not, reframe and resend it today.

Watch a short video on tactical silence—practice it in your next investor conversation.

Prepare one powerful question to uncover scaling priorities during negotiations.

Practice stating your deal terms firmly once a day—drop apologies and over-explaining.

Customer Relationship Management

Pick your top 5 customers—send a personal growth-related update, not a sales push.

Add personal notes for your top clients—track details that strengthen long-term loyalty.

Schedule calendar reminders for scaled follow-ups at 30, 90, and 180 days.

Pick a dormant account—send a short message and test if interest revives during scale.

Ask a client how they currently use your solution—spot ideas for scaling their success.

Share one valuable non-sales resource—build trust with clients as you scale.

Sales Strategy and Planning

Choose 3 quarterly revenue targets—tie each directly to a concrete activity or pipeline step.

Check your funnel—spot one scaling bottleneck and plan a small experiment to fix it.

Identify one weak customer segment—test a micro-campaign tailored for scaling appeal.

Block 30 mins weekly for sales review—add it permanently into your scaling calendar.

Define or refresh your ICP—base it on real scaling data, not old assumptions.

Sketch your lead-to-close journey—mark drop-offs that hinder scaling conversions.

Talent Acquisition and Recruitment

Review one current job ad—reframe the opening around growth, culture, and shared mission.

Message a strong past candidate—reconnect and invite them to consider a new scaling role.

Post a short employee video: “Why join us now”—authenticity matters while scaling fast.

Add one inclusive phrase check into your hiring process—scaling teams need diversity.

List your 3 referral sources—re-activate them for immediate scaling hires.

Create a short interview scorecard—align it with the top 3 scaling traits.

Performance Management

Set one team-wide success marker—explain what high performance looks like during scale.

Edit your review form—remove one vague or redundant question slowing scaling feedback.

Send a quick thank-you to a team member—make recognition part of scaling culture.

Spot one KPI that’s misaligned with true growth—flag it for urgent revision.

Book a check-in with an employee—focus only on development, not project updates.

Add quarterly reflections into your review process—beyond the annual cycle.

Learning and Development

Ask a team member: “Which skill would help you thrive most as we grow quickly?”

Share a short learning link in your next meeting—focus on scaling leadership or culture.

Spot one recurring skill gap—share a low-effort resource to address it quickly.

Create a shared doc where team members post useful scaling resources each week.

Turn one recent win or miss into a growth lesson—share what changed in your approach.

Highlight one free or internal training—endorse it as part of scaling learning culture.

Financial Analysis and Budgeting

Check one departmental budget—flag any spending misaligned with scaling priorities.

Build a monthly finance sheet—track 3–5 numbers that show if scaling is healthy.

Block 30 minutes this week—compare forecast vs. actuals for one scaling initiative.

Identify one cost center overrunning budget—check if scaling assumptions need revisiting.

Add a budget check line into your next leadership sync—make it routine in scaling talks.

Watch a 5-min video on zero-based budgeting—note one scaling insight you can apply.

Risk Management

Identify one scaling risk—write it down and share it with your leadership team today.

Review insurance policies—flag any gaps or misalignments with scaling operations.

Write down your top 3 scaling risks—rank by likelihood and potential impact.

Add a “scaling risk” line item in your next planning meeting—provoke proactive thinking.

Write down 3 small failures—did any signal larger scaling risks you overlooked?

Skim an industry update—flag risks relevant to your scale-up journey.

Capital Allocation

List your 3 main projects—rank by contribution to sustainable growth, not just urgency.

Pinpoint one over-invested area draining growth—flag it for review with your CFO.

Spot one budget area out of sync with growth—flag it in your next leadership review.

Review one recent financial choice—did it balance short- and long-term scaling needs?

Sketch a quick pie chart—does team time align with scaling priorities?

Estimate upside of shifting 10% of spend to the highest growth initiative.

Supply Chain Management

Map your supply chain—flag one dependency that could stall scaling if disrupted.

Check if your top suppliers meet scale demands—highlight risks in speed or quality.

Build a 1-page summary of stock vs. demand—highlight any scaling misalignment.

Ask procurement to identify alternate suppliers—document findings for scaling resilience.

Review last quarter’s shortages—document root causes impacting your scaling speed.

List top 3 stock items—check if levels fit scaling forecasts and real demand.

Lean and Agile Methodologies

Create a kanban board for scaling tasks—visualize flow and highlight bottlenecks clearly.

Hold a 15-min team sync—discuss blockers only—spot scaling patterns slowing delivery.

Identify one recurring process that adds no value—recommend cutting or simplifying it now.

Pilot a one-week sprint cycle—plan, execute, review—spot improvements in delivery pace.

Map one growth-critical process in 5 steps—spot redundancies and streamline.

Shorten planning on a small task—measure speed gains without losing quality.

Quality Assurance

Build a short checklist for a recurring growth task—use it to avoid errors this week.

Pick one quality metric (complaints, delays)—track it daily for a full scaling week.

Run a 15-min quality check on a deliverable—flag small issues before they grow in scale.

Review one client-facing deck—polish clarity and accuracy before scaling outreach.

Flag one task with frequent rework—draft a fix to avoid errors at scale.

Ask a peer to review work—note what they catch that you missed in scaling mode.

IT Systems Management

Write down one IT process slowing scale—note steps you could automate to support faster growth.

Set a reminder for IT updates—ensure backups run so scale isn’t disrupted by oversight.

Review system logs this week—flag unusual slowdowns before scaling magnifies them.

Create one vendor list with renewal dates—avoid scaling disruptions from missed obligations.

Spot one recurring complaint—define a small fix before scale multiplies the issue.

Run a 10-minute IT health check—log patterns before scaling intensifies issues.

Cybersecurity

Update passwords with your tech lead—enable two-factor access for all admin-level accounts.

Schedule automatic updates on all devices—cut exposure to threats as your team scales.

Run a free phishing test—boost team awareness before scale increases exposure.

Review login activity—flag unusual access before scale broadens risk exposure.

Enable encryption for email and data—close gaps before scaling increases risk.

Draft a short checklist—what to do first in a scaling cyber incident.

Software Development and Integration

Set automated tests for one critical feature—stability becomes vital while scaling fast.

Refactor one small piece of code—improve clarity to ease scaling integrations.

Document one API endpoint—improve clarity for faster integrations during growth.

Implement version control—or review commits for clarity as scaling team grows.

Draft a shared integration checklist—smooth merges with external teams at scale.

Add a code linter—enforce standards as scaling team grows.

Customer Experience Management

Send a quick thank-you note to a customer—ask for one insight on their recent experience.

Review top 3 complaints—identify recurring issues as you grow your customer base.

Add a satisfaction line to surveys—capture a fast scaling signal from customers.

Update an email touchpoint—make it clearer and more human at scale.

Shadow a support call—observe tone and handoffs as volume scales.

Create a journey map—focus on one segment’s scaling experience.

Service Recovery and Resolution

Review the last 3 complaints—how quickly did your team resolve them during scale?

Refresh one support template—make it warmer and more ownership-driven for scaling.

Draft a simple escalation checklist—speed up service handoffs during scaling.

Publicly acknowledge one mistake—show trust-building transparency while scaling.

Add an apology step in automation—humanize service at scale, even when automated.

Categorize complaints by root cause—not just surface issue—as scale grows.

CRM Systems

Add missing info in one CRM record—contact, preferences, or decision triggers for scaling sales.

Add a daily CRM reminder—log every critical customer interaction as growth accelerates.

Create a saved CRM view—track top 10 scaling accounts needing urgent follow-up.

Add a custom CRM field—track loyalty or churn signals during scaling.

Merge or delete CRM tags—clarify systems before scaling adds complexity.

Clean 10 CRM entries—ensure clarity as scaling accelerates complexity.

Regulatory Compliance

Identify one regulation shaping your sector—skim the latest update and implications today.

Review your compliance checklist—suggest one tweak to keep pace with scaling demands.

Tag one contract for sensitive clauses—prepare for compliance at scale.

Schedule compliance review reminders—monthly or quarterly during scale.

Bookmark regulator’s site—track sector updates critical during scaling.

Confirm compliance with one rule—data, safety, or disclosure critical at scale.

Contract Management

Open a key contract—flag renewal dates, penalties, or hidden terms affecting scaling risks.

Create a shared folder for contracts—make renewals easy to find as you expand.

Ask legal for latest templates—store them where your scaling team can access.

Identify your most negotiated clause—note where flexibility exists in scaling talks.

Confirm contract sign-off owners—clarify process before scaling multiplies volume.

Set reminders for renewals—check contracts 30 days before terms renew.

Corporate Governance

Review your governance chart—confirm board roles and decision authority remain fit for scaling.

Confirm if your team has a code of conduct—does it suit your scale-up context now?

Check if board minutes are accessible—decisions must stay transparent while scaling.

Read your ESG statement—does it align with scaling expectations and public image?

Confirm policies applying to your role—whistleblower, conflict, or data use at scale.

Flag gaps in internal controls—fix oversight risks before scaling exposes them.

Innovation and Product Development

Scan your roadmap—mark one innovation that could boost efficiency or customer experience.

Read a short case study on product pivots—note lessons for scaling innovation.

Bookmark 3 trend sources—spot emerging ideas to fuel scaling innovation.

Build a backlog of unmet needs—mine tickets for scaling product opportunities.

Sketch one “wild” product idea—free-think possibilities to spark scaling innovation.

Ask if you have an innovation framework—design sprints, lean canvas, etc.

Research Methodologies

Review one past business choice—was solid research backing the decision at scale?

Review existing survey data—spot patterns that could guide scaling priorities.

Skim a new paper—note how its research method could apply in scaling context.

List 3 research methods—decide which best inform scaling decisions.

Use a free survey tool—gather fast team data to guide scaling choices.

Save one strong research insight—note how it shifted past direction at scale.

Intellectual Property Management

Identify one asset—design, code, or content—that deserves protection as you grow fast.

Check if you have an IP clause—skim it to understand key founder obligations.

Review IP basics—trademark, copyright, patent, and trade secrets—clarify for scaling.

List 3 types of team knowledge—decide what protection scaling requires.

Ask a peer which protections they use—learn IP lessons relevant for scale.

Check IP symbols on your site—ensure trademarks or copyright are updated.

Supplier Relationship Management

List top 3 suppliers—note how often you engage beyond basic transactions during scaling.

Review a supplier contract—highlight terms that matter most while scaling.

Send thanks to a supplier—recognize them for supporting your scaling operations.

Identify one key supplier—note contacts vital for scaling partnership health.

Add supplier check-ins to your calendar—keep relationships strong while scaling.

Ask suppliers for suggestions—invite ideas to improve scaling operations.

Logistics and Distribution

Map your logistics flow—highlight one weak link that could block scaling demand.

Check lead times for your top 3 products—are suppliers keeping up with scaling?

List external partners in distribution—circle those critical for scaling resilience.

Review delivery SLAs—are they visible and tracked as orders grow?

Review one delivery delay—spot what could have been fixed upstream.

Create a visual of your distribution—share with one peer for feedback.

Cost Management

Review your top 3 recurring costs—ask if each still drives growth as priorities shift.

Identify a paid tool underused—decide whether to cancel or maximize during growth.

Spend 15 minutes scanning purchases—flag small costs multiplying with growth.

Check expense approval limits—do they scale with larger purchases now?

Ask finance for a budget breakdown—see where scaling money concentrates.

Spot one manual process—flag automation to save time and cost at scale.

Data Analysis and Visualization

Replace a cluttered chart with one clear visual—make scaling data easier to interpret.

Use conditional formatting—highlight scaling trends or anomalies in your current sheet.

Add one-line insights to charts—make scaling results easy to grasp at a glance.

Convert one table into a dashboard—make scaling insights more visible.

Choose a KPI—track it daily or weekly for scaling visibility.

Create a pie or bar chart—visualize scaling data for decision clarity.

Predictive Analytics

Pick one metric you want to forecast—collect historical data to test scaling trends.

Test a simple forecasting tool—apply it to one scaling metric right away.

Add a trend line to data—see how scaling metrics shift over time.

Find one case of predictive analytics—note impact on scaling outcomes.

List predictors for one metric—test which signal scaling patterns early.

Run a correlation test—see links between scaling metrics today.

Business Intelligence

Check your top 3 BI dashboards—do they answer critical scaling questions clearly?

Schedule a weekly BI review—spot anomalies early before they slow scaling.

Write an “insight highlight” on a BI report—clarify findings for scaling clarity.

Test one BI feature unused—filters, alerts, or drill-downs supporting scale.

Share a BI report—ask if non-technical colleagues find it useful.

Set up KPI alerts—trigger notifications when scaling thresholds are crossed.

Enterprise Risk Management

List your top 3 risks this quarter—rank them by scale impact and urgency today.

Review your risk log—note one area that needs updating to reflect scaling.

Schedule a team risk check-in—focus on new risks emerging with scaling.

Review recent incidents—spot top causes to fix before scaling magnifies them.

Check one risk control—note gaps or next steps before scaling strain hits.

Bookmark industry standards—review guidance shaping risk management at scale.

Crisis Management

Open your crisis plan—note missing contacts, roles, or details for scaling incidents.

Write 3 likely crises—outline first responses to protect your scaling business.

Hold a crisis readiness call—ensure your team knows roles as scale increases.

Confirm crisis communication channels—backup systems must scale with reach.

Test an alert system—confirm notifications reach everyone in scaling scenarios.

List crisis stakeholders—confirm who must be informed immediately.

Regulatory Compliance 2

Identify top 3 regulations shaping your sector—find the latest guidance to stay aligned.

Revisit your compliance checklist—highlight one point needing more clarity.

Set a reminder for compliance updates—review quarterly as scale evolves.

Subscribe to a compliance newsletter—stay current as scale brings scrutiny.

Confirm compliance training completion—document it for scaling credibility.

Check one current project—verify compliance with scaling requirements.

Product Lifecycle Management

List every product or feature—mark which lifecycle stage each occupies right now.

Review product metrics—compare with expectations for lifecycle stage at scale.

Map stakeholders for each lifecycle stage—note gaps in scaling accountability.

Open your roadmap—check for features addressing product maturity at scale.

Flag one product near decline—brainstorm renewal ideas before scaling stalls.

Review documentation—are lifecycle milestones clear for scaling teams?

Market and User Research

Review customer feedback—spot 3 recurring issues you must address to scale.

Draft a quick survey—validate one assumption about scaling customers or users.

Read competitor reviews—spot unmet needs your scaling can address.

Set alerts for industry trends—track shifts relevant to scaling users.

Run a usability review—spot friction before scaling customers multiply.

Gather 5 user personas—check if segments reflect scaling customers.

Go-to-Market Strategy

Write down your target segments—list 3 pain points each is facing today.

Review last launch plan—note one success and one lesson for the next rollout.

Map sales channels for upcoming launch—align with your scaling strategy.

Draft a value proposition—tailor it to your scaling market segment.

Review a competitor’s go-to-market—note one tactic you could test at scale.

Check pricing strategy—does it fit perceived value and market at scale?

MASTER Risk Hub