MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Abilities

Which area or field do you primarily work in?

Strategic Planning

Write a one-sentence version of your department’s strategy—does it show alignment with overall company direction?

List your top three departmental priorities—do they support organizational strategy or just operational demands?

Review last year’s department strategy—highlight which points still matter and which should be reframed or retired.

Compare your department’s plan with a competitor’s—what’s the distinctive edge your team offers internally?

Identify one initiative in your unit misaligned with strategy—pause, pivot, or reframe it this week.

Sketch a pyramid: vision > goals > initiatives—fill it for your unit to check alignment with strategy.

Operational Execution

Identify one stalled project in your team—clarify the next step and owner, and unblock it before day’s end.

Review your personal to-do list—circle the three tasks that drive impact, and complete those first today.

Create a repeatable checklist for a recurring workflow—cut down rework and missed steps starting today.

Apply the 80/20 rule—dedicate 80% of time to the 20% of tasks with maximum departmental impact.

Set a daily 15-minute review slot—use it to check progress on key deliverables consistently.

Align your weekly calendar to real priorities—block time for deep work, not only meetings.

Performance Monitoring

Choose one key performance metric for your department—start tracking and reviewing it weekly without fail.

Build a simple progress dashboard in Excel—visualize three KPIs for your unit and update it weekly.

Add one new line to team meetings: “What progress moved forward this week?”

Review your OKRs—highlight one that lacks a clear measurement approach and define it immediately.

Send a one-page performance recap to senior leaders—summarize your team’s results for the week.

Create a simple visual tracker for one project—update it during every team check-in meeting.

Market Analysis

Search for three industry updates—note how competitors respond and share one insight with your team today.

Review recent customer surveys—note which needs repeat most, and brief your team on one clear takeaway.

Identify one industry trend from the past six months—frame it as an opportunity or threat for your unit.

Search one industry keyword trend—note what’s rising or falling and brief your team on implications.

Refresh your team’s market personas with recent client or lead data—share findings internally.

Write down five criteria your clients use when selecting providers—validate with two quick calls.

Branding and Positioning

Rewrite your department’s elevator pitch—make it sharper, bolder, and centered on impact for internal clients.

List three traits that make your unit distinctive—do your internal materials highlight them clearly?

Update your LinkedIn summary—highlight your department’s value proposition to the wider organization.

Compare tone and style across your unit’s communications—are you consistent and professional?

Ask one peer to describe your department’s brand in five words—compare with how you want it seen.

Add one story-driven example to your About page or departmental introduction.

Digital Marketing Strategy

Identify your top-performing digital channel—briefly review analytics and suggest one new campaign this week.

Set one clear digital marketing goal for your team this month—decide exactly how you’ll measure success.

Review your analytics dashboard—note one unexpected trend and share it at your next leadership sync.

Test a new call-to-action on your department’s intranet post—measure engagement and clicks next week.

Review email subject line performance—tweak one to test a sharper hook and track the result.

Optimize your team’s LinkedIn or intranet bio—make it align with your current priorities.

Negotiation Skills

Write down your ideal, target, and fallback deal terms for one negotiation—clarify them before the discussion.

Identify one phrase you use in negotiations that weakens your stance—replace it with a stronger alternative.

Review your last negotiation email—check if you anchored clearly; revise and resend if it felt uncertain.

Watch a short video on negotiation silence—apply it in your next scope or pricing conversation.

Prepare one powerful discovery question—use it to uncover client priorities in your next meeting.

Practice stating your key deal terms aloud daily—avoid apology or over-explaining when delivering them.

Customer Relationship Management

Identify your five most strategic clients—reach out with a short, relationship-focused check-in this week.

Add one personal note for each key client in your CRM—something relevant for building stronger rapport.

Add follow-up reminders in your calendar—schedule meaningful intervals for checking back with key clients.

Reconnect with one dormant client account—send a short, value-driven message to reopen the door.

Ask one client how they currently use your solution—note insights for a value-focused follow-up.

Share one useful resource with a client—focus on insights, not on a sales push.

Sales Strategy and Planning

Define three sales objectives for your unit this quarter—link each one to a specific activity or measurable outcome.

Review your sales funnel—pick one bottleneck, brainstorm with your team, and test a small improvement.

Identify one underperforming market segment—adjust messaging and test a micro-campaign for feedback.

Block 30 minutes weekly to review team sales results vs. plan—add it as a recurring calendar entry.

Create or update your Ideal Customer Profile—use actual data from deals, not assumptions.

Map your client journey from lead to close—mark where drop-offs happen and discuss fixes.

Talent Acquisition and Recruitment

Review one current job ad from your team—rewrite the opening to highlight growth, purpose, and impact clearly.

Reach out to one strong past candidate—send a quick message to re-engage the relationship today.

Post a short video or quote from your team about why joining your unit is rewarding—share on LinkedIn.

Add an inclusive language check to one of your job descriptions before posting it.

List your top three referral sources—reach out today and re-engage them actively for open roles.

Create or update an interview scorecard—align it to the top three competencies for your open role.

Performance Management

Choose one current team goal—write down what excellent performance looks like and share it openly with staff.

Review your performance appraisal form—remove one vague or outdated item before the next cycle.

Send a personal recognition message to one team member—make it specific and timely.

Spot one KPI that fails to reflect real value—flag it for redesign in the next leadership review.

Schedule a one-on-one check-in with a team member—focus solely on development, not task updates.

Add quarterly reflection points to your performance cycle—not just annual reviews.

Learning and Development

Ask one direct report: “What’s one skill you’d like more time to develop this quarter?” Record the response.

Share one short learning link in your next meeting—show you prioritize ongoing team development.

Spot a recurring skill gap in your team—suggest a simple online resource as a first step.

Create a shared digital space where your team can share and recommend learning resources easily.

Turn your last team win or failure into a shared learning—capture how to apply the lesson next time.

Recommend one internal training option this week—send it with your personal endorsement.

Financial Analysis and Budgeting

Review your department’s latest budget—flag one unclear or mismatched item for discussion with finance.

Set up a simple monthly budget dashboard—include 3–5 KPIs your team can easily monitor together.

Block 30 minutes this week to reconcile budget vs. forecast for one project or unit initiative.

Identify one cost center in your department with recurring overruns—note it for deeper review.

Add a “budget check” agenda point to your next team meeting—make it a recurring habit.

Watch a 5-minute tutorial on variance analysis—note one takeaway to apply in budget reviews.

Risk Management

Identify one financial risk in your projects—write it down and share with a peer manager for quick alignment.

Review your unit’s contingency policy—flag one outdated or missing safeguard for follow-up action.

Flag your unit’s three top risks—rank them by likelihood and potential business impact today.

Add a “risk scan” item to your next planning agenda—force proactive discussion with your managers.

Write down three recent small failures—did any highlight a larger overlooked risk? Note for review.

Skim an industry earnings update—note one external risk with relevance to your department.

Capital Allocation

List your three most resource-heavy initiatives—rank them by ROI instead of urgency or leadership visibility.

Identify one activity where resources outweigh results—flag it for review with your senior manager.

Check if your current budget allocations truly align with long-term strategy—note one misalignment.

Review a recent budget decision—was short-term gain balanced with long-term growth? Note insights.

Sketch a pie chart of how team time is spent—compare with the department’s top three priorities.

Estimate potential upside of shifting 10% of budget to your highest-growth initiative.

Supply Chain Management

Sketch your supply chain in five quick steps—highlight one fragile dependency that could affect delivery soon.

Check if your top three suppliers consistently hit deadlines—highlight one recurring risk for attention.

Summarize inventory levels vs. demand—flag one mismatch that could impact delivery commitments.

Ask procurement if alternate suppliers exist for two critical inputs—record results for backup planning.

Review last quarter’s supply delays—note the root cause of each disruption for discussion.

List top three inventory items by cost—do they align with forecast and actual usage?

Lean and Agile Methodologies

Set up a Kanban board for your team’s current work—track flow daily and flag any blocked items immediately.

Run a 15-minute team huddle on blockers—note which patterns repeatedly slow your unit’s execution.

Identify one task in your workflows adding no value—suggest removing or automating it this week.

Run a one-week sprint cycle—plan, execute, review—track improvements in delivery focus and quality.

Map one workflow in five steps—highlight where unclear ownership slows things down.

Shorten the planning phase of one project this week—track speed without lowering quality.

Quality Assurance

Create a checklist for one repeatable task—use it this week to reduce small but frequent operational errors.

Choose one quality metric (e.g., error rate) and track it daily this week—share findings with your team.

Run a 15-minute quality spot-check on one deliverable—document even minor issues for awareness.

Review one client-facing slide or email for clarity—refine it before sending to protect credibility.

Identify a recurring rework step—define a simple rule or adjustment to prevent it going forward.

Ask a peer to review one deliverable before submission—note what they spot that you missed.

IT Systems Management

Document one recurring IT issue your team escalates—flag where automation or better process could reduce effort.

Set a calendar reminder for IT updates—confirm backups and maintenance tasks aren’t being missed.

Review system logs for anomalies last week—flag issues for IT or escalate with details.

Create a central list of IT vendors—include renewal dates and SLAs to avoid surprises.

Identify one recurring IT complaint—check root cause and define a small fix today.

Run a 10-minute IT health check—log outcomes and share with your team.

Cybersecurity

Confirm all team leads reset admin passwords—enable two-factor authentication across shared accounts.

Ensure software updates are scheduled on all devices—reduce exposure to common vulnerabilities.

Run a phishing awareness quiz—raise your team’s awareness with a 5-minute test.

Review system login activity—flag unusual or suspicious entries for IT.

Enable encryption on storage and email—confirm it’s active across your team.

Draft a short checklist of key steps for your team during a cybersecurity incident.

Software Development and Integration

Review one integration your team uses—check if automated testing could prevent downstream issues.

Pick one legacy process—refactor or simplify a step to make it easier for your team.

Document one integration endpoint your developers lack instructions for—clarify ownership.

Ensure version control is in place—review one recent commit for clarity.

Create a shared integration checklist—standardize team steps during code merges.

Add a linter or formatter to your codebase—set a shared standard for quality.

Customer Experience Management

Send a short follow-up to one client—thank them and ask for quick feedback on recent service.

Review the last three complaints in your unit—note any recurring patterns for your next meeting.

Add a short satisfaction question to post-service surveys—collect fast customer signals.

Update one email template—make tone warmer and clearer for customers.

Shadow a support call—observe tone, resolution speed, and client expectations.

Sketch a quick journey map for one customer type—share it with your team.

Service Recovery and Resolution

Review the last three escalated complaints—note resolution speed and clarity, then share with your team.

Rewrite one support script—make tone more human, empathetic, and accountable.

Create a simple escalation checklist—make handovers faster and clearer for your team.

Publicly acknowledge one mistake—show accountability and rebuild trust.

Add an apology step to one automated workflow—make tone more human.

Tag and categorize recurring complaints—focus on root causes.

CRM Systems

Update one CRM record with missing details—preferences, key contacts, or decision timelines.

Add a daily reminder to log key touchpoints into your CRM—keep records consistent.

Save a view of top 10 active clients—track which need follow-up this week.

Add a custom CRM field—track loyalty or risk signals for accounts.

Review CRM tags—merge or delete outdated ones for clarity.

Review 10 CRM entries—clean and update them for clarity.

Regulatory Compliance

Identify one regulation that directly impacts your unit—skim the latest update and summarize for your team.

Review your compliance checklist—suggest one update or clearer step to legal.

Tag a contract for compliance-sensitive terms—share flagged clauses with peers.

Set a recurring reminder for compliance review—share outcomes with your team.

Bookmark your regulator’s site—subscribe for updates relevant to your unit.

Confirm a current project complies with one critical regulation.

Contract Management

Review a contract your department manages—note renewal dates, penalties, and responsibilities.

Create a shared folder for contracts—ensure your team knows how to retrieve them.

Confirm your team uses the latest approved contract templates—store in a visible place.

List the clauses you negotiate most—note where flexibility exists.

Confirm who signs contracts—document the process for your team.

Add a reminder for contract renewals—review 30 days in advance.

Corporate Governance

Review your governance chart—confirm decision rights and clarify where your team escalates issues.

Confirm your team knows the ethics or conduct policy—review for relevance today.

Review last board minutes—note decisions affecting your department’s work.

Read your company’s ESG statement—note what commitments apply to your unit.

List policies relevant to your role—conflicts, whistleblower, data handling.

Note one gap in internal controls—share with your manager.

Innovation and Product Development

Scan your roadmap—highlight one area where innovation could improve efficiency or user experience.

Read a short case study on innovation—share one insight with your team in a meeting.

Bookmark three trend sources—share one insight with your team at the next check-in.

Start a backlog of unmet user needs—base it on tickets or team feedback.

Sketch one bold product idea—no limits, just brainstorm with your team.

Check if your company uses an innovation framework—note how to apply it.

Research Methodologies

Review a recent decision in your area—note what research or data was used to support it.

Review an existing dataset—note surprising trends or questions worth further analysis.

Skim a research article—note methodology and what it means for reliability.

List three types of research your team uses—exploratory, descriptive, causal.

Test a free survey tool—collect fast input from your team this week.

Save one example where research changed a project—share it with your team.

Intellectual Property Management

Identify one team output worth IP protection—design, report, software, or branding element.

Check your contracts for IP clauses—note what protection already applies to your work.

Look up definitions of trademark, copyright, and patent—share with your team.

List three types of knowledge in your unit—decide what’s worth protecting.

Ask a colleague about IP challenges—share one learning with your team.

Check if your trademarks and IP notices are current.

Supplier Relationship Management

List your top three suppliers—note how often you engage beyond transactional exchanges.

Review a supplier agreement—highlight one important obligation for your team.

Thank one supplier with a short message—acknowledge recent good performance.

Identify a high-value supplier—document key contacts for emergencies.

Add a monthly supplier check-in—fifteen minutes is enough to stay aligned.

Ask suppliers for one improvement idea—invite collaboration.

Logistics and Distribution

Sketch your current logistics flow—identify one unclear step or dependency to review.

Check delivery lead times—compare with expectations and flag gaps.

List all external partners—highlight the most critical for your operations.

Review SLAs in logistics—check if they are visible and tracked regularly.

Identify one recent delivery delay—note what could have prevented it upstream.

Create a visual of your distribution flow—share it for team feedback.

Cost Management

Review your top three recurring departmental costs—check if they align with current priorities.

Identify a tool your team underuses—decide whether to optimize or cancel it.

Scan last month’s expenses—flag overlooked or redundant items for review.

Review expense approval limits—confirm they fit typical project size and risk.

Ask finance for a budget breakdown—note the three biggest categories.

Identify a manual process—suggest how automation could save time.

Data Analysis and Visualization

Replace one cluttered report chart with a clear visual—highlight the single most important insight.

Use conditional formatting on a spreadsheet—spot trends or anomalies faster.

Add titles and one-line insights to your next presentation charts for clarity.

Convert one table into a dashboard—highlight trends for your team.

Choose a KPI—track it daily with a simple chart for visibility.

Create a chart for a stakeholder—focus on data they value most.

Predictive Analytics

Pick one metric you forecast—gather historical data to improve projections for your department.

Run a simple forecast with historical data—share output with your manager.

Add a trend line to one key dataset—show the bigger picture visually.

Find one case where predictive analytics drove better outcomes—share the example.

List predictors of your main metric—brainstorm with your team.

Run a correlation check between two metrics—share the output.

Business Intelligence

Review your top three BI dashboards—assess if they answer real business questions clearly.

Schedule a weekly BI review—spot trends or anomalies early with your team.

Add a short summary to one BI report—highlight the most relevant insight.

Explore a BI feature you haven’t used—filters, drilldowns, or alerts.

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

Set automated alerts for KPIs crossing thresholds—review weekly.

Enterprise Risk Management

List your unit’s three biggest risks—rate impact quickly and share with senior management.

Review the risk register for your unit—flag one outdated or incomplete entry.

Schedule a quick risk review meeting—focus only on new or shifting risks.

Review recent near misses—document the top cause for each.

Pick one risk control you own—check its status and next steps.

Bookmark a risk management guide—keep it handy for your role.

Crisis Management

Review your crisis playbook—note missing roles, contacts, or escalation steps to clarify.

Brainstorm three possible crises for your team—sketch quick response steps.

Run a 15-minute crisis readiness check-in—test one scenario with your team.

Confirm communication channels for crisis alerts—test backups.

Run a quick test of a crisis alert—confirm it works in practice.

List crisis stakeholders—confirm who to notify immediately.

Regulatory Compliance 2

Identify the top three compliance rules for your role—check the latest guidance or updates.

Review your compliance checklist—suggest one small but clear improvement.

Set a recurring reminder to review compliance updates each month.

Subscribe to a regulatory newsletter for your sector today.

Confirm all compliance training is complete—follow up on any gaps.

Check one project’s compliance with regulatory requirements.

Product Lifecycle Management

List all current products—note which lifecycle stage each is in now.

Compare product performance against lifecycle norms—note one misalignment.

Map stakeholders across your product lifecycle—note gaps in responsibility.

Check roadmap items—see which address growth vs. decline stages.

Identify one product nearing maturity—discuss renewal strategies with peers.

Review product docs—confirm lifecycle milestones are defined.

Market and User Research

Review customer feedback—note three recurring themes your team can address.

Draft three survey questions to validate one assumption about your users.

Review competitor product reviews—note insights on preferences and unmet needs.

Set Google Alerts for customer or competitor updates—review signals weekly.

Do a quick usability review—note one friction point in your product.

Gather five customer personas—use them in planning.

Go-to-Market Strategy

Identify your target segments—list one key pain point for each.

Review your last launch plan—note one success and one area to improve.

Map your channels—highlight weak points in your go-to-market flow.

Write one sentence value proposition for your target market—share with peers.

Review one competitor’s launch strategy—note what could apply to yours.

Review pricing vs. competitor value—flag mismatches.

MASTER Risk Hub