OCRM Workshop prep…let’s go!
During this workshop, we will be reviewing the steps involved in the Objective Centered Risk Management (OCRM) methodology and introducing you to the objective analysis and tracking tools. We will primarily focus on the analysis tool during the workshop, and will discuss the tracking tool towards the end.
This workshop will allow your team to participate in a worked example using a real objective from your organisation. On average, the workshop will take two hours but could be longer or shorter depending on the specific needs of your team and organisation which have been identified earlier in the process.
Step 1 - Watch this video
(It’s less than 5 minutes 👍)
If you’d like a resource to read, feel free to download this reference paper on OCRM as well.
Step 2 - Review the objective(s)
Prior to the workshop, you will receive an email with more detailed instructions and a link to a collaboration platform (usually Miro but possibly a different platform). The email or the platform will also contain an objective (or more than one) that will be used for the worked example. Starting from the objective, ask yourself the following questions (feel free to take personal notes or just have some ideas in mind when you arrive at the workshop):
Does the objective make sense? Is it in plain language? Does the terminology mean the same thing to everyone? Are you aware of the key results/indicators that will be used to measure performance?
What are the threats that will prevent the achievement of the objective? What are the opportunities that will enhance the achievement of the objective?
What are the causes that will trigger a particular threat? What are the indicators that will let you know that an opportunity is on the horizon?
What are the preparation elements that your organisation can put in place to mitigate or actively monitor the causes and indicators? (NOTE: You will identify mitigation for the things you have SOME control over and active monitoring for everything else.)
Based on the results of the analysis, your team will develop something that looks like this:
It will likely be much messier and less organised, but it will contain invaluable insight that will help your team refine your objective(s), build a more accurate budget, and engage with decision makers using evidence and data.
The following steps will take place after the workshop.
Step 3 - Refine the analysis, conduct the budgeting exercise, and gain approvals
Your team will likely not be able to complete the OCRM analysis during the workshop, so it will need to be concluded outside of the workshop space. I am usually available to follow up with key leads, provide feedback, and answer questions you may have as you conclude the analysis portion of the methodology.
The budgeting step (the pricing of the preparation elements in the red circles above) is essential to ensure organisational commitment to the risk management element of the endeavour. If the resources aren’t available to properly mitigate/monitor, then a decision will need to be made as to how to proceed with the objective.
Once the analysis and the budgeting step are completed, the full objective approval proposal can then be presented to decision makers for a Go/No Go decision. This provides decision makers with an evidence-based presentation and data for the team to advocate for the necessary resources to achieve the objective.
If the decision makers say ‘Go’… great! 🎉
If the decision makers say 😲, you have several options: (1) find the additional resources available to support the objective as designed, (2) rewrite the objective to fit within the parameters available, (3) accept the risk/gaps identified and move on.
Step 4 - Upload the objective(s), preparation elements, and implement the objective certainty rating and tracking
Once your objectives are approved, you will build your Objective Certainty Rating and Tracking tool. The framework for this tool can be built using a simple Excel spreadsheet or, if you have a little bit of a budget and some know-how, a Power BI dashboard can present the data in an interactive and interesting way.
You start with creating a tab to house the preparation elements and document their relationship with your objectives, threats/opportunities, and other information. This ensures you have accountability over the mitigation/active monitoring elements.
Next, you will create several tabs (one for each report) to track your objectives and not your risks. The objective certainty will be provided by the objective owner every week or every other week (if you wait too long to track your objective certainty you might find that you are off track and there is no time to recover).
This is an example of a reporting tab. The frequency of reporting allows you to conduct trend analysis and see how you have made progress towards accomplishing your objectives over time.
Hooray! You’ve completed the analysis and built the tracking tool.
Now you need to use it!
Some thought on embedding OCRM into your organisation’s ways of working…
Like any new initiative, if you want OCRM to ‘stick’ within your organisation you will need to make sure people understand OCRM’s value, see leaders backing it, and have the tools and motivation to make it stick.
To give a new initiative the best possible chance of success inside an organisation, you usually need to cover three fronts at the same time: clarity, commitment, and capability.
Here are some suggestions to help integrate OCRM into your organisation’s ways of working:
1) Align with organisational priorities and stakeholder interests
Why: If the initiative feels like a side project or doesn’t obviously serve core goals, it will struggle to get attention and resources.
How:
Link the initiative’s outcomes directly to strategic objectives, KPIs, or urgent problems.
Involve key stakeholders early to shape the tool and methodology and ensure it meets their needs.
Map out who wins if the initiative succeeds — and make that value visible.
2) Build Visible and Sustained Leadership Support
Why: Endorsement from leaders gives the initiative legitimacy, signals priority, and opens doors to resources.
How:
Identify a senior sponsor who will actively champion the initiative.
Secure regular visibility in leadership meetings and updates.
Encourage leaders to become early adopters of OCRM and use the data and evidence when making decision.
3) Plan for Change Management, Not Just Project Delivery
Why: Even the best ideas fail if people don’t adopt them. Change management ensures buy-in and momentum.
How:
Communicate the “why” clearly and often — using language that is customised and resonates with different audiences.
Enable teams with training training and continuing support so they can deliver and sustain the change.
Celebrate small wins early to maintain enthusiasm and show progress. 🎉
