Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
Risk and Reward
Aaron is the former editor of ProjectsAtWork.com
Every project has curves in the road. They can lead to disaster or opportunity.
Risk is everywhere. Crossing the street. Changing lanes. Joining a pickup basketball game. Digging in the yard. Some risk we take for granted—most drivers observe the red light, so we cross the street because, after all, we want to get to the other side. On projects, risk gets more complicated. There are unmarked roads to navigate, with trouble lurking around every curve. The consequences of being surprised can be costly. But managing projects in fear can also be damaging because risks are tied to rewards. And so risk management is part discipline, part art—a balancing act that requires courage on the part of project managers, teams and stakeholders.Effective risk management is a team sport. It requires the active participation of everyone in and around the project, from team members to executives to customers, with the project manager as moderator and documentarian. The organization must support risk management with clear processes, tools and resources. And, perhaps most important, successful risk management depends upon a culture that encourages honest, ongoing communication about risks. In doing so, "bad" risks can be mitigated sooner—and "good" ones, bearing unexpected opportunities, can be explored deeper.
Do More Early
Most project managers practice a form of …
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It is better to ask some of the questions than to know all the answers. - James Thurber |