MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Abilities

Which area or field do you primarily work in?

Strategic Planning

Write a one-sentence version of your venture idea—include goal, advantage, and direction clearly.

List your top 3 study priorities—do they serve long-term goals or only short-term assignments?

Review last year’s business plan—highlight what still applies and what must be reframed.

Compare your strategy with a rival’s—what’s your unique differentiator in the market?

Identify one project that doesn’t align with goals—pause, pivot, or reframe it quickly.

Sketch a basic pyramid: vision > goal > initiative—fill it for your student venture.

Operational Execution

Identify one class project task—clarify next step and owner, unblock it before the day ends.

Review your to-do list—highlight the top 3 that drive outcomes, complete those first today.

Create a repeatable checklist for a recurring assignment—reduce missed steps and wasted time.

Apply the 80/20 rule—focus 80% of effort on the 20% of actions with greatest impact.

Set a 15-minute slot daily to review deliverables—consistency matters more than intensity.

Align your weekly calendar—block time for deep work, not just lectures and meetings.

Performance Monitoring

Choose one metric for your student venture—track and review it weekly starting today.

Build a simple spreadsheet to visualize progress on your top 3 entrepreneurial KPIs.

Add one question to meetings: “What progress did we make this week?”

Review your OKRs—highlight one that still lacks a clear success measure.

Send a brief update to teammates summarizing this week’s outcomes clearly.

Create a visual tracker for one major project—update it in every check-in.

Market Analysis

Google 3 rival student ventures—note their value pitch and what audiences engage with most.

Review peer reviews of ventures—note the problems or needs most frequently mentioned.

Identify one recent market trend—what opportunities or risks could it create for student ventures?

Use Google Trends for one keyword—what shifts might matter for your venture project?

Refresh your market personas using fresh survey or peer interview data this semester.

List 5 criteria your audience uses when choosing—validate them with student interviews.

Branding and Positioning

Rewrite your one-line pitch—make it bolder, simpler, and focused on outcomes students care about.

List 3 things that make your idea unique—check if your pitch materials emphasize them.

Update your LinkedIn headline to show your current entrepreneurial project or focus clearly.

Compare your tone across channels—are you consistent, distinctive, and professional?

Ask a peer to describe your brand in 5 words—compare with your intended identity.

Add a story element to your About section—make it engaging and memorable.

Digital Marketing Strategy

Identify your strongest digital channel—add one fresh post or campaign tailored for peers this week.

Set one clear digital marketing goal (e.g., sign-ups, shares, views) and define how to measure.

Review your analytics dashboard—note one surprising insight you hadn’t seen before.

Test a new call-to-action on your website—track changes in clicks or sign-ups.

Review your email subject lines—test a sharper version to increase open rates.

Optimize your social bio to reflect your current entrepreneurial focus.

Negotiation Skills

Write down your ideal, target, and walk-away terms for a mock deal—clarify your boundaries now.

Identify one weak phrase in your talks—replace it with wording that sounds confident and clear.

Review your last negotiation draft—check if you anchored well, revise it and resubmit if needed.

Watch a video on tactical silence—apply it in your next classroom negotiation role-play.

Prepare one powerful question to uncover what matters most to a negotiation partner.

Practice stating your deal terms without apology—say it out loud confidently each day.

Customer Relationship Management

Identify your top 5 contacts—send a check-in that builds trust without pushing a product.

Add a personal note field to your contact list—record one meaningful detail for each person.

Set calendar reminders for follow-ups with peers or mentors at 30 and 90 days.

Reconnect with one inactive contact—send a short message to restart the relationship.

Ask one peer how they’d use your solution—note ideas for follow-up improvements.

Share one free, useful resource with a contact—build trust without a sales push.

Sales Strategy and Planning

Define your top 3 sales goals this semester—link each to one measurable student activity.

Review your sales funnel draft—spot one bottleneck and brainstorm a small fix to test quickly.

Identify one weak customer group—adjust your targeting or messaging and run a test campaign.

Block 30 minutes weekly to review sales progress vs. plan—add it to your calendar.

Draft or update your Ideal Customer Profile—base it on real student or mentor data.

Sketch a simple lead-to-close journey—note where drop-offs occur and why.

Talent Acquisition and Recruitment

Review a sample job post—rewrite the opening to stress impact and growth, not just the duties.

Reconnect with a promising past teammate—send a message to explore collaborating again.

Post a short “why join us” message about your project on LinkedIn or university channels.

Add one inclusive language check to a draft job posting or team description.

Identify your top 3 referral sources—reach out and thank them for their support.

Create a short interview scorecard—align it to the top 3 traits you value in candidates.

Performance Management

Choose one team project goal—define “great performance” and share it with classmates today.

Review your peer feedback form—remove one vague or redundant question immediately.

Send a message of specific recognition to a teammate who contributed this week.

Spot one KPI in your project that adds no value—flag it for revision immediately.

Schedule a check-in with a teammate focusing only on growth and feedback.

Add quarterly reflection time to your performance tracking calendar.

Learning and Development

Ask one teammate: “What’s one skill you wish you had more time to build this term?”

Add a short article or podcast link to your next group meeting agenda for shared learning.

Identify a recurring gap in team skills—suggest a quick, free resource to fill it.

Create a shared document where teammates can suggest useful learning resources.

Turn your latest success or failure into a short group reflection—what did you learn?

Share one training resource this week—endorse it personally for your team.

Financial Analysis and Budgeting

Review one project budget—flag one area where costs or estimates don’t seem to match up.

Build a finance dashboard with 3–5 KPIs classmates can easily update and track together.

Block 30 minutes to reconcile forecast vs. actual costs for one class project.

Identify one budget area with overruns—explore if assumptions or forecasts caused it.

Add a “budget check-in” to your team meeting agenda this week.

Watch a short tutorial on budgeting—apply one useful concept to your class project.

Risk Management

Identify one financial risk in your project—write it down and share it with your classmates.

Review one risk plan for your project—note any outdated or missing items today.

List the top 3 financial risks for your project—rank them by likelihood and impact.

Add a “risk check” to your next planning session—practice proactive problem-spotting.

List 3 small failures—did any reveal a bigger overlooked risk?

Skim an earnings report—note one external risk highlighted for entrepreneurs.

Capital Allocation

List your top 3 class projects—rank them by learning impact, not just urgency or deadlines.

Identify one area where your project overspends—flag it for closer review with your team.

Check if your budget allocations align with goals—note one mismatch to discuss with peers.

Review one past financial choice—did it balance long- and short-term value well?

Sketch a quick pie chart of team time—are your top priorities getting focus?

Estimate gains from reallocating 10% of budget to a high-growth area.

Supply Chain Management

Map out your supply chain for a prototype—highlight one weak link or dependency immediately.

Check if your suppliers or sources deliver on time—highlight any delays or quality gaps now.

Create a one-page summary of materials vs. demand—spot one clear misalignment today.

Ask suppliers about alternate sources for two inputs—record findings for your project.

Review last semester’s supply issues—what was the main root cause each time?

List your top 3 supplies by cost—do they match actual usage this term?

Lean and Agile Methodologies

Set up a Kanban board for coursework—track progress and flag stuck tasks for visibility.

Run a 15-minute group check-in focused only on blockers—note common delays in execution.

Identify one task adding no value—propose removing or simplifying it for your project.

Run a one-week sprint cycle: plan, execute, review—note changes in speed and focus.

Map one process in 5 steps—remove redundancies or unclear stages immediately.

Shorten planning for one assignment—measure speed and quality balance.

Quality Assurance

Create a checklist for a recurring class task—use it this week to avoid repeated mistakes.

Choose one quality metric for your prototype—track it daily across this entire week.

Run a 15-minute quality review on your last deliverable—flag even minor issues noticed.

Review one client-facing email or deck—check for clarity and fix before sending.

Identify one step in your workflow with frequent rework—define a clear fix or rule.

Ask a peer to review one deliverable—note what they catch that you missed.

IT Systems Management

Document one manual tech task slowing your project—outline steps to automate or streamline today.

Set a calendar reminder for regular updates and backups—ensure your project data stays protected.

Review your system performance logs—flag anomalies or unexplained slowdowns during recent projects.

Create a central list of IT vendors, renewal dates, and agreements to avoid confusion.

Identify one recurring user complaint—investigate its root cause and design a small fix.

Run a ten-minute system check and log outcomes to spot recurring problems.

Cybersecurity

Update all passwords for your student accounts and enable two-factor authentication immediately.

Schedule automatic software updates on laptops to reduce exposure to known vulnerabilities.

Run a free phishing awareness quiz for your team to strengthen security practices.

Review recent login activity—flag suspicious times or unusual access locations.

Enable encryption for emails and files not already protected.

Create a checklist of steps during a cyber incident—share it with your team.

Software Development and Integration

Write automated tests for a small code function to reduce mistakes and increase stability.

Refactor one piece of messy code for clarity, readability, or modularity this week.

Document an API endpoint or module that lacks clear instructions for student developers.

Implement version control if missing—review recent commits for clarity and completeness.

Create a shared integration checklist for smoother code collaboration with others.

Add a linter or formatting tool to enforce coding standards on your project.

Customer Experience Management

Send a short thank-you email to a peer after feedback and ask one improvement question.

Review three classmates’ service complaints and identify patterns that could inform improvements.

Add one satisfaction question to an existing survey for quick user feedback.

Rewrite one email touchpoint using clearer, warmer, more human language.

Shadow a peer’s customer call—observe tone, resolution style, and expectations.

Create a quick journey map for one customer group or service.

Service Recovery and Resolution

Review three class project complaints and note how quickly and clearly they were addressed.

Rewrite a support template to sound more human, empathetic, and responsibility-driven.

Create a short escalation checklist for faster team handover when issues arise.

Acknowledge a mistake publicly to peers—explain what you learned and how to improve.

Add an apology step in automated flows—even when no human agent was involved.

Tag recurring complaints by root cause—not only the surface topic.

CRM Systems

Update one customer persona in your project with missing details like behaviors or needs.

Create a reminder to log every meaningful customer or peer touchpoint in your system.

Create a saved view of top ten active opportunities or projects needing follow-up.

Add a custom field to track loyalty signals or user insights in your CRM.

Review CRM tags—merge or delete outdated or unused ones.

Clean up ten CRM entries—ensure they’re clear and useful.

Regulatory Compliance

Identify one regulation relevant to your idea and read the most recent update today.

Review a compliance checklist from class—suggest one improvement or clarification.

Tag one recent agreement for compliance-sensitive clauses or unusual risks.

Schedule a recurring compliance review on your calendar monthly or quarterly.

Bookmark regulator’s official site for entrepreneurship and subscribe to updates.

Confirm compliance with one critical requirement in your current project.

Contract Management

Review a sample contract template from class and highlight expiration clauses or unusual terms.

Create a shared folder to organize and easily retrieve all important project contracts.

Save the latest approved contract templates and ensure they’re accessible to all team members.

Identify the most common clause you negotiate—note possible flexibility or sticking points.

Confirm who signs contracts in your project—ensure process clarity.

Set a reminder to review contract renewals thirty days before deadlines.

Corporate Governance

Map your project’s governance roles—who decides what, and how responsibilities are distributed.

Identify if your project team has an ethical code—check for gaps or unclear areas.

Confirm whether project board minutes are available to all relevant stakeholders.

Check your university’s ESG or compliance statement—compare to your project’s direction.

List policies applying to your project—conflicts, whistleblowing, or information use.

Flag gaps in oversight or internal controls within your project.

Innovation and Product Development

Scan your project roadmap—highlight one feature where innovation could improve value or usability.

Read a short case study about successful pivots or failed innovations in student ventures.

Bookmark three reliable sources of emerging trends—newsletters, blogs, or analyst reports.

Create a backlog of unmet user needs identified from class feedback or surveys.

Brainstorm one “wild” product idea—no limits, just creative exploration.

Check if your team uses an innovation framework—lean canvas or design sprints.

Research Methodologies

Identify one class decision and check what research, if any, actually supported it.

Review a dataset from class research—highlight surprising questions or unusual emerging patterns.

Skim a recent research article—note how the methodology was structured and presented.

List three types of research used in your project—exploratory, descriptive, causal.

Use Google Forms to collect fast team feedback.

Save one research insight that changed direction in past work.

Intellectual Property Management

List one idea your team created that could be protected—design, app, content, or concept.

Check if your project has intellectual property protection needs—note key ideas to safeguard.

Compare trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets—summarize each difference in writing.

List three knowledge types worth protection—designs, processes, or ideas.

Ask a mentor which IP protections they’ve used or wished they’d had.

Supplier Relationship Management

List your top three suppliers and reflect on how often you communicate beyond transactions.

Review a supplier contract sample—highlight obligations or collaboration terms that stand out.

Send a thank-you note to a supplier for prompt delivery or supportive collaboration.

Identify one high-risk supplier relationship—record key contacts and obligations.

Add a short monthly supplier check-in to your calendar.

Spot missed collaboration opportunities—ask suppliers for input or improvements.

Logistics and Distribution

Sketch your supply chain from source to delivery—identify one gap or unclear dependency today.

Check lead times for three key supplies—are they realistic for your student project timeline?

List all partners in your distribution process—identify the truly critical ones today.

Review your delivery agreements—ensure they’re visible and regularly tracked.

Identify a recent delivery delay—note what could have been fixed earlier.

Create a visual of your distribution flow—share with peers for feedback.

Cost Management

Review top three recurring expenses for your project—are they justified and aligned with goals?

Identify one tool you pay for but underuse—decide to cancel or optimize it today.

Scan last month’s expenses quickly—identify overlooked or unnecessary small costs.

Check project expense approval limits—are they proportionate to your spending?

Ask finance peers for a budget breakdown—spot large or misaligned categories.

Flag one manual process that could be automated to save time.

Data Analysis and Visualization

Replace a cluttered chart in your class report with one clear visual highlighting key insight.

Apply conditional formatting in your dataset to highlight surprising outliers or clear patterns.

Add a title and one-line insight to every chart in your next class presentation.

Convert a data table into a dashboard using Looker Studio or Datawrapper.

Track a KPI with a weekly chart for visibility.

Add clear titles and one-line insights to each chart in your presentation.

Predictive Analytics

Pick a project metric to forecast—gather historical data and test one simple method today.

Test a simple forecasting function (Excel FORECAST) on one dataset from your project.

Visualize a trend line or moving average on your sales or project dataset.

Research one case where predictive analytics improved business outcomes measurably.

Create a list of predictors affecting your chosen forecasting metric.

Run a correlation analysis between two project variables.

Business Intelligence

Identify top three dashboards or reports you use—assess if they answer critical questions clearly.

Schedule a weekly review of your BI report to spot unexpected trends or anomalies.

Add a short “insight highlight” to your BI report for clarity and relevance.

Explore a BI feature you’ve never used—filters, drill-downs, or alerts.

Share your BI report with a non-technical peer—ask if it’s understandable.

Set automated alerts for key performance indicators crossing thresholds.

Enterprise Risk Management

List top three risks for your student venture—rate each one quickly for potential impact.

Review your risk register draft—note one area needing update or clarification.

Hold a short team meeting—review emerging risks and list two priority updates.

Review recent incidents or near misses—identify their primary causes.

Identify one risk control you own—check status and document next steps.

Bookmark key risk-management standards for reference.

Crisis Management

Review your team’s crisis plan draft—note missing roles, resources, or communication channels.

Identify three likely crises for your project and draft fast initial response steps.

Schedule a brief “crisis readiness” check-in with classmates this month.

Confirm communication channels and backup systems for emergency alerts.

Test a critical alert or notification system—run a dry simulation.

List stakeholders who must be informed immediately in crisis.

Regulatory Compliance 2

Identify top three regulations likely to affect student entrepreneurs and summarize latest guidance.

Review your compliance checklist—suggest one new improvement or clarification.

Set a recurring reminder to review new compliance updates monthly.

Subscribe to a regulatory newsletter relevant to entrepreneurship today.

Confirm mandatory compliance training is completed by your team.

Check compliance with regulations for one current project.

Product Lifecycle Management

List all your product features and assign which lifecycle stage each is currently in.

Review product performance metrics and compare them against expected lifecycle stages.

Map key stakeholders involved at each product lifecycle stage for your project.

Check your roadmap—ensure growth and decline phases are addressed.

Identify one product at risk of decline—brainstorm renewal options.

Review product documentation—clarify milestones and responsibilities.

Market and User Research

Review feedback on your prototype—highlight three recurring themes or pain points needing attention.

Create a survey to validate one assumption about your target users this week.

Analyze competitor reviews for insight into unmet customer preferences.

Set up Google Alerts for industry and customer trends.

Conduct a quick heuristic review of your prototype usability.

Collect five user personas to understand diverse needs.

Go-to-Market Strategy

Define your main customer segments and write key frustrations or unmet needs for each one.

Review your last project launch—note one success and one thing needing improvement.

Map your sales and marketing channels for your prototype’s go-to-market approach.

Draft a value proposition tailored to your main target market segment.

Analyze competitor go-to-market tactics for one similar product today.

Check if your pricing strategy matches customer value perceptions.

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