12 essential techniques for risk management communication

12

essential techniques for risk management communication

Nicholas and Smith Pty Ltd - June 2012

1/5

12 essential techniques for risk management communication

12 essential techniques for risk management communication

Use the right question at the right time
Want to get someone talking and opening up? Open questions really get people talking. They encourage explanation, elaboration and description. They elicit a lot of information on which to build more information. They usually begin with words like 'describe' or 'explain', or how or why, or phrases like ,'can you show me'? Want to shut someone up or get them back from a side issue (nicely, of course)? Closed questions direct the conversation and keep it on track. They help clarify and check facts. They generate short answers, usually yes or no. Closed questions start with words such as do (or does), when, where, who or what. Want to get to the bottom of the matter? Probing questions uncover deeper issues and obtain more detail. They are especially useful for building on a weak answer because they can get better information. Probing questions can sound like an interrogation and so they should be used in combination with other open questions. Examples might start with How do you know ..?, and How can you be sure that .? Think someone is talking nonsense but (always) need to check? Challenging questions are used when someones answers contradict previous answers they have given, or observations you have made. Care must be taken to make sure you do not appear argumentative or aggressive. You just want clearer information. Examples might start with In light of the risk analysis are you saying that .? and I note that there was a similar finding in the last risk audit, so are you saying that youre not too concerned about ..?

Nicholas and Smith Pty Ltd - June 2012

2/5

12 essential techniques for risk management communication

Want to explore the meaning of life? Hypothetical questions are designed to explore possibilities. They test whether our hunches have any merit. Want to test your listening skills Reflecting questions test your understanding. In your own words, you express what has been said without agreeing or disagreeing, to make sure you've understood correctly. They usually start with something like So let me see if Ive got this right? Want to sum up, or change tack and move on? Summarising . concisely lists or ties together the main points covered in the conversation. Like reflecting, summarising is a powerful way to show you have been listening and to test mutual understanding. Want to listen only to yourself? Leading questions get the answer you want to hear. They often start with words such as Would you blah blah blah, Do you blah blah blah. A better way of asking these questions is to start with words that require an explanation, for example What would you do if or How do you . Want to make a point? A rhetorical question is one that requires no answer because the answer is obvious and doesn't need to be stated. Great if you are not looking for an answer but just making a point for your argument. The most powerful question of all The self evaluation question gets people to really think deeply and honestly. How do you see things? How do you think things are going?

The right words at all times

Think about whom you are talking with and use the same type of words that they are using. You might be very confident with jargon associated with a topic but it could be confusing to your colleagues.
Nicholas and Smith Pty Ltd - June 2012

3/5

12 essential techniques for risk management communication

An ear for words Listening . is the key to everything. Active listening involves body language, eyecontact, and facial expressions and concentration on what is being said. Your secret weapon - silence Silence often spills the beans. Its said that if you can be quiet long enough, the person who is talking with you will eventually contradict themselves. While this is a fun theory to test, silence can often unearth information that would never have the light of day, if you hadnt kept quiet. Content from the DVD training program, The Complete Auditor (Safety Health, Environment, Quality and Risk). Read more.

Nicholas and Smith Pty Ltd - June 2012

4/5

12 essential techniques for risk management communication

BBC Disaster Series

The BBC Disaster Series examines the world's most dramatic catastrophes using actual footage, re-creations and interviews with key decision makers. These DVDs awaken the need for safety consciousness at every level of the organisation and each DVD is a valuable addition to your organisations training resources. No one who experiences these powerful DVDs will be unaffected by the lessons they convey. Customers using these DVDs in their training include: GlaxoSmithkline, Maersk North Sea, Petrofac, GE Caledonian, Qatar Petroleum, Balfour Beatty, Conoco Phillips, South Hook LNG, TAQA Bratani, Fluor, Tokyo Electron, Rhodia, EON, Atomic Weapons UK and many more. Each DVD title is a Complete Training Package and includes DVD and CD containing workshops, study guides, and slide presentations. DVD: Spiral to Disaster: Piper Alpha The tragic event of Piper Alpha occurred when this massive oil platform in the North Sea succumbed to explosion and fire, resulting in the loss of 167 lives. A disaster which could have been averted. This powerful safety DVD unravels the sequence of events that in the course of one critical hour lead to the disaster. Read more. DVD: Piper Alpha: The human price of oil In July 1988, a catastrophic explosion and fire occurred on the Piper Alpha North Sea Oil platform claimed 167 lives. This is a risk analysis of the catastrophe. This DVD, produced soon after the incident looks at various factors that contributed to the disaster. Read more.

Other DVD titles in the BBC series Crash in the dark: The Severn Tunnel train crash Fatal Error: Choosing the wrong engine The Unflyable Plane Cut Price Tragedy Channel Tunnel Fire Major Malfunction: Space shuttle challenger disaster Wrong Stuff: Airline mishaps and pilot error One Night in Bhopal: The worlds worst industrial disaster Kings Cross: Beneath the flames Kansas City: Death by design Read more. Nicholas and Smith Pty Ltd - June 2012

5/5