Risk Attitudes Today I listened to Cornelius Fichtner’s new PM Podcast episode. How does risk attitude affect your project? Cornelius delivers great content as usual. Janice Preston’s interview was very informative and helped me understand the concept of risk management. They teach that risk management is almost a module that you create while planning and then insert into your project plan. They talk about reviewing and updating it frequently. It’s something I have never heard them mention in the context of the risk attitudes and project stakeholders. If you haven’t, you should listen to this episode. However, I enjoyed the classification of four distinct risk attitudes.

Based on my experience with project managers, it seems that most are Risk Tolerant. This is based on the fact that very little effort is put into planning and analyzing risks. These classifications are easy to identify with because of the people I have worked with on project teams. Some people are too focused on the unknown and seek out risky solutions, while others are more pragmatic (Risk Seeker). Others are conservative to the point that they seem cynical (Risk Avoider). The goal is Risk Neutral. Although I would say that I am more of a Risk Seeker, the knowledge and experience that I’m gaining is pointing me more towards Risk Neutral. I am able to see uncertainty through formal SWOT analysis, which allows me to examine my exuberant optimism. This episode is available on The Project Management Podcast.