MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Abilities

Financial Management

Review your last month’s expenses against revenue and identify one area to cut or optimize this week.

Set a calendar reminder to check your account balances and cash flow every Monday morning.

Create a simple spreadsheet to track three recurring costs and update it daily for one week.

Categorize five recent expenses as fixed or variable to better understand your cost structure.

List your top three recurring costs and brainstorm one possible efficiency improvement for each.

Review one past vendor invoice or supplier payment—check for errors or unnecessary charges immediately.

When have you avoided reviewing finances, and what mindset or fear contributed to your hesitation?

Reflect on a time when poor financial choices hurt your service—what could you have done differently?

How confident are you in reading financial reports or P&Ls? What would improve that confidence right now?

What financial risks have you taken with your business, and how did they influence your outcomes?

Think about your budgeting cycle—do you feel informed or disconnected from planning, and why?

Reflect on how your personal money habits influence how you manage business finances today.

Spend 30 minutes reviewing your service finances, even if it’s not your direct responsibility.

Ask to attend your team’s next financial review—listen actively and take notes to learn.

Track your service-related spending for one week and summarize findings for your business.

Choose one KPI tied to finances (e.g., ROI, margin) and check its latest value—interpret the trend clearly.

Identify a vague line item in your budget—request clarification from your accountant today.

Set a micro-financial goal (e.g., save 5% on expenses) and measure progress after two weeks.

Ask your accountant to explain a financial metric you don’t fully understand.

Share a cost-saving idea with your team—ask for feedback and input before moving forward.

Present a small section of your budget in a team meeting—ask for insights or concerns.

Request feedback from your accountant on how financially aware you’re perceived to be as an owner.

Ask a peer how they manage unexpected costs—what practices keep them financially disciplined?

Share a financial learning resource you found useful—discuss its relevance with your team.

Instead of “I’m not good with finances,” reframe it as “Financial skills are learnable and valuable.”

View financial constraints not as blockers but as creative boundaries that drive smarter service.

See budgeting as a strategic tool, not a burden—it gives you control, not stress.

Recast “cutting costs” as “redirecting resources to what matters most for clients.”

Replace the belief “finance is someone else’s job” with “financial awareness strengthens leadership.”

Instead of “reports are boring,” view them as maps showing financial risks and opportunities.

Watch how senior leaders talk about financial goals during team meetings—note key terms and priorities.

Observe how often financial metrics come up in decision-making discussions and who initiates them.

Study how budget owners justify spending in approval meetings—what arguments are most convincing?

Track how often teams ask about ROI or cost impact during brainstorming or planning sessions.

Listen for signs of financial confidence or discomfort in your peers during budget discussions.

Monitor the timing and tone of financial updates in leadership emails or presentations—what do they emphasize?

Project Management

Make a list of all active service projects you’re managing—note owners, deadlines, and next actions.

Clarify one unclear client deadline or responsibility in a current project—ask a direct, simple question today.

Create a checklist for your next client project, breaking it into 3–5 small, sequenced steps.

Block 30 minutes this week to update the status of a client project in your tracking tool or spreadsheet.

Send a single-sentence project status update to your team—practice brief, clear communication.

Choose one overdue client task and move it forward by doing the next 15 minutes of work on it.

Think about a recent service delay—what was within your control, and how would you handle it differently now?

Reflect on how you prioritize when juggling multiple service projects—what’s your decision logic, and does it serve you?

What phase of service projects do you enjoy least—planning, delivery, or follow-up? Why?

Recall a successful client project—what tools or habits helped you deliver on time and with quality?

When do you tend to drop the ball on service projects—handoffs, communication, or timing? What’s the pattern?

Reflect on your tolerance for service ambiguity—how do you respond when scope or client needs shift?

Define and document the scope, timeline, and key milestones for a client project—even if informal.

Choose one project tool (Trello, Asana, Notion, etc.) and manage a full week of client work entirely there.

Ask your team to agree on project roles and communication norms before starting a client initiative.

Identify a project risk and draft a short plan B—what will you do if that risk materializes?

Schedule a short service retrospective—review what worked, what didn’t, and what to improve.

Take ownership of a small client project—commit to updating the team weekly until completion.

Ask your team: “What would make our client project planning easier or more effective?”

Request feedback from a client on your last project update—was it too detailed, too vague, or just right?

After a meeting, ask: “Was the next step clear to everyone? Did I communicate it effectively?”

Invite someone with more project experience to review your client plan and suggest improvements.

Share your project tracker with a colleague and ask: “Is anything unclear or missing?”

Ask a peer which project habits or rituals help them manage complexity or stay ahead of deadlines.

Change “I’m not a planner” to “Planning reduces stress and improves service delivery.”

Reframe “We’re behind” to “Now we know the gap—we can reprioritize and act with clarity.”

Instead of “It’s too early to plan,” think “Early clarity avoids client confusion later.”

View process steps as signals of progress, not bureaucracy—they build trust and consistency.

Replace “I have too many projects” with “I need visibility and prioritization to manage this load.”

See shifting timelines as a reality of collaboration, not failure—adapt with flexibility and structure.

Watch how experienced project leads handle updates—what cadence, structure, and language do they use?

Observe what happens when a project lacks a clear owner—how does confusion or drift show up?

Track which project meetings feel productive versus scattered—what makes the difference?

Listen to how often priorities shift in your team—are changes tracked or just verbally passed along?

Monitor how different people respond to deadlines—who overcommits, who delays, and what’s the impact?

Notice when and how you switch between planning and doing—do you miss key steps or switch too fast?

Change Management

List one upcoming service change in your business and write down its expected client impact in one sentence.

Identify one routine task in your operations that could be adjusted to adapt more easily to changing client needs.

Ask a colleague how they’re feeling about a recent change—just listen without offering solutions.

Choose a small operational change you’ve been resisting and take the first 15-minute step to move through it.

Review your last service change and write down what helped you cope or adapt successfully.

Check your client communications for one unclear or inconsistent message about a recent service change.

How do you typically respond to service changes—do you resist, adapt, or use them to grow? Why?

Reflect on a service change you supported—what helped you embrace it instead of resist it?

What emotions come up when you hear about a new change—stress, energy, or curiosity? Explore why.

Recall a poorly managed service change—what were the consequences, and what would you have done differently?

What changes have you introduced in your business recently—what made them successful or not?

Reflect on your role as a service change agent—are you passive, reactive, or proactive, and how does it affect results?

Volunteer to lead or support one aspect of an upcoming service change for your team or clients.

Create a one-page “change briefing” to help staff and clients understand the what, why, and how of a shift.

Identify one unclear client change—ask for clarity and better communication before moving ahead.

Set up a team check-in to surface emotional reactions or concerns about a service transition.

Choose a habit to intentionally adjust this week—practice small-scale resilience during client change.

Help translate a high-level service change into one clear action for your team to prioritize.

Ask your staff: “What’s unclear or frustrating about this change? What would help you move forward?”

Share your perspective on a change and ask: “How does this land with you? What’s your view?”

Invite a colleague to describe how they adapted to a major business change—and what they’d do differently next time.

Ask your manager or advisor for feedback on how you handled a service change—what worked, and what didn’t?

Present a small service change idea to your team—ask for candid input on risks or blind spots.

Ask someone who resists change: “What would make this feel more manageable or fair to you?”

Shift from “change is risky” to “change is a chance to improve client service with intention.”

Reframe “top-down changes are forced” to “Client and staff feedback helps shape future moves.”

Instead of “This change is inconvenient,” think “What opportunity or learning might it create?”

Change “I have no control” to “I can influence how I respond and help clients adjust too.”

View uncertainty not as confusion but as a transition space where service can still improve.

See resistance as a signal of care, not defiance—it’s often rooted in values and trust.

Notice how leaders communicate change—do they address emotions or just facts? How does it land?

Watch how different departments pace and sequence changes—what patterns help adoption stick?

Observe how your team reacts in the first 48 hours after a change announcement—what signals do they give?

Track who embraces vs. resists change—what support or clarity makes a difference for each?

Notice when people go quiet or disengage during change—what’s missing that they need to reengage?

Pay attention to your own internal dialogue when change hits—what story are you telling yourself?

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