When risk rears its ugly head, don’t flinch
Acknowledging a threat is 80 percent of the battle. So let’s own it.
Pop quiz: What’s the most important thing you can do to reduce risk?
Buy insurance
Hire a consultant
Panic
Something else
While the first two options may have merit, it’s “something else” that’s of real value in making a crisis less likely. And what would that be?
It’s simply this: Acknowledging the risk.
Some might say, “Well of course we need to acknowledge the risk. Doesn’t everybody do that?” No. In fact, most faith and nonprofit leaders do not recognize risk in any meaningful way.
Instead, responses often widely miss the mark. They include:
Head in the clouds – God would never allow something bad to happen here.
Head in the sand – That could never happen here.
Head in the oven – Everything that can go wrong will go wrong.
Dialogue among people who hold these views tends to go nowhere. Instead, what’s needed is a dispassionate, fact-based assessment of your organization’s unique challenges.
“The only thing harder than planning for an emergency is explaining why you didn’t.”
A constructive response
Acknowledging risk means more than intellectual assent. It should move us to action.
Let’s look at some examples of plausible crises that could affect houses of worship and nonprofit organizations:
An active-shooter opens fire during a worship service.
An arsonist burns down your building in the middle of the night.
A volunteer sexually abuses a child at summer camp.
A staff member or volunteer embezzles money.
A scan of headlines in the United States will demonstrate that all of these things happen routinely (some occur more often than others). Many of the organizations that experience these challenges have been sure that “it can’t happen here.” Yet it did.
This is not to say that all crises can be avoided. There are some things we have no control over. But all threats certainly can be addressed in some manner. A food pantry can’t predict when or if a tornado will blow it away. But it can have property insurance so it can rebuild. The pantry could also partner with another organization, allowing it to continue serving the community while it rebuilds.
Priorities
While you can’t address all potential risks at once, you can identify the top threats to your organization and begin tackling them in order of relevance. So where do you start?
Any organization that serves children should put child safety at the top of its list. The leading cause of lawsuits against churches is over sexual abuse. In addition, nonprofits, including The Boy Scouts of America, have been decimated by their failure to protect youth in their care.
Another frontline is the battle against embezzlement. One in three churches have experienced it. In addition, it’s estimated that 5% of nonprofit revenue is annually lost to fraud.
It’s statistically unlikely that a gunman will attack your house of worship. But if it happens, statistics will be of no comfort. In addition, it’s much more likely that you’ll experience other security-related issues on your property. These could include a domestic dispute, a mentally ill or homeless person causing a disruption or a group protesting outside. Having a professionally-trained security ministry pays dividends in many ways, even if they never face a life-or-death struggle.
Every organization has a different risk profile. A practical place to begin is to identify your top three threats, in order of severity. By doing this, you create an environment that addresses risk.
Perhaps counterintuitively, acknowledging a risk lowers the anxiety around what had previously been seen as a taboo subject. For example, when workplaces proactively discuss the genuine threat of violence on the job, anxiety is reduced. Why? When employees understand that management is aware of the risk and takes it seriously, workers can be more productive and relaxed.
“Preparation through education is less costly than learning through tragedy.”
Making it real
So where do you go from here? Regardless of how you proceed, you’ll need a team. It’s nearly impossible to confront risks and vulnerabilities alone. Here are some questions to help you take the next step.
What do you need to learn about risks in your organization? How will you do it?
What education do volunteer or staff leaders need about risk? (For example, do they understand the history of sexual abuse in church environments? Are they aware that one of three churches experiences embezzlement?)
Which volunteer or staff leaders need to be included in a discussion about risks?
When and where will this discussion take place?
What role will volunteer or staff leaders play in addressing the risks?
How can you chart progress?
How can the discussion steer clear of blame or criticism and focus on productive action?
While the process can seem daunting, tackling one challenge at a time will prove fruitful. When leaders, employees and congregants know that risks are acknowledged and addressed, they can stop fretting about “what ifs” and redirect their energies toward “what’s possible?”
