Are Your Bid and Executive Teams on the Same Planet?
A little guide on how and why you should try to align risk perspectives
Have you ever observed a Bid Team and an Executive Team discussing risk? The dynamics can be fascinating, and at times, unintentionally humorous. It's like watching two groups trying to communicate across a language barrier, each convinced the other side is speaking some strange dialect of business jargon.
Bid Teams often perceive risk in granular detail, obsessing over individual scenarios—sometimes to their detriment. Yet, paradoxically, it's not uncommon for Bid Teams to neglect structured approaches like maintaining an up-to-date risk log. They're sometimes so immersed in day-to-day operational pressures or focused narrowly on technicalities, they miss the broader strategic implications. They risk "not seeing the wood for the trees," getting lost in immediate, tangible problems while potentially overlooking larger systemic issues.
Executives, on the other hand, tend to look at risk from a strategic, big-picture standpoint. For them, risk isn't just a list of potential negatives, it's a pathway toward opportunity. Risks become strategic levers to drive competitive advantage or explore new markets. But executives can underestimate practical implementation challenges and the operational realities that Bid Teams grapple with daily.
These differing perspectives can create real pressure points:
Misaligned priorities: Executives may push for strategic initiatives without fully understanding the complexities or constraints facing Bid Teams.
Communication breakdown: Each group may speak past each other, causing frustration and missed opportunities for effective collaboration.
Unmanaged risks: Without proper dialogue, critical risks may remain unidentified or unaddressed, leading to costly oversights or project failures.
To address these issues effectively, consider the following strategies:
Enhanced Communication: Foster a culture where Bid Teams and Executives regularly communicate—not just at milestone meetings, but through ongoing dialogues. Clear, consistent communication helps teams understand each other's pressures and priorities.
Structured Risk Management: Implementing robust yet practical risk management tools, like easy-to-use risk logs or dashboards, can help Bid Teams maintain clarity without becoming bogged down in detail. Simplified risk frameworks make it more likely that teams will actually use them.
Cross-functional Collaboration: Encourage regular cross-functional workshops or reviews to align tactical operations with strategic goals. This helps both teams appreciate each other's roles and challenges, creating mutual understanding and respect.
Executive Sponsorship of Risk Processes: When senior executives actively support risk management processes, Bid Teams are more likely to adopt and trust these systems, ensuring risks are systematically identified, assessed, and addressed.
Ultimately, balancing these perspectives requires empathy, clear processes, and continuous communication. By recognising that both teams have essential, complementary roles in managing risk, organisations can transform these pressure points into powerful opportunities for growth and resilience.