Do we really have to decide between growth and caution? Today, one in two decision-makers admits that it is easier to say ‘no’ to a risky opportunity than to build a secure ‘yes’. A risk culture that silently holds back the growth of many companies. Our Open Advantage roadmap, which brings together advice from the highest-performing organisations, helps you understand how to turn your risk teams into true allies for your growth and keep your world open.
The ‘no’ reflex: a widespread internal barrier
A new market, a strategic client, a key supplier, an expansion project: every growth opportunity carries a degree of uncertainty. According to Coface’s study Risk Management: From Risk control to Growth engine, the 1,250 senior decision-makers surveyed across 13 countries deliver a blunt assessment: half of them admit that it is easier to turn down a risky opportunity than to find solutions that would allow them to seize it.
When not encouraged to seek solutions, risk teams generally focus on eliminating this uncertainty. For 59% of organisations, risk and finance teams are perceived more as a barrier to growth initiatives than as a driver of performance. 33% regard them as necessary but frustrating, and 20% as excessively cautious and out of touch with commercial reality.
The real challenge, however, is not to eliminate all risks. It is to replace a binary opposition between ‘yes’ and ‘no’ with a more operational question: how can this opportunity be made possible safely, and under what conditions?
Open Advantage: 5 levers to activate to build a secure ‘yes’
1 – Involve risk management from the initial idea stage, not after the final decision
The Risk and Finance functions add greater value when the opportunity is still in the development phase. Their role is not merely to approve or reject a project, but to help shape it. If approached too late, they are often limited to approving, restricting or rejecting a project whose key features have already been finalised.
The ideal scenario is for risk management to be involved right from the start, right from the opportunity design phase.
saysa finance director in the chemicals sector interviewed in Germany.
2 – Fostering a culture of open debate
Another hallmark of high-performing organisations is the ability of teams to debate without fear. Constructive challenge does not necessarily block a decision. On the contrary: it can help to test the assumptions, assess exposure and clarify the conditions for success.
To become an ally of growth, the Risk function must be able to ask the tough questions without being perceived as an obstacle. Establish and formalise a regular forum (committee, weekly meeting) where challenging a growth decision is not only tolerated but expected.
3 – Turn risk into commercial trade-offs
Rather than pitting a level of risk against a growth ambition, the company must put both into perspective:
- what value can the opportunity generate?
- what level of exposure is acceptable?
- what would be the cost of a premature rejection?
In practical, day-to-day terms, replace an outright refusal with clear conditions: thresholds, credit limits, clearly defined guarantees, and deadlines for seizing the opportunity. In other words, for every ‘no’ you consider, systematically ask the alternative question: under what conditions would a ‘yes’ be possible?
4 – Test scenarios and define safeguards
No growth decision is entirely risk-free. However, a company can measure its exposure, test various scenarios and determine appropriate safeguards. For example, 60% of companies use scenario modelling and stress tests before making major growth decisions.
Finally, you can implement various safeguards depending on the situation: diversification of customers and markets, contractual guarantees and protections, credit insurance solutions, and networks of external experts.
5 – Document, monitor and reassess decisions
A ‘yes’ should never be considered definitive. The situation of a business partner (customer or supplier), the company’s exposure or the economic environment can change very rapidly.
The conditions under which a decision was made must therefore be monitored and reassessed. This is why half of the organisations surveyed implement early-warning indicators to identify emerging risks before they materialise.
If we combine risk information with economic data and forecasts, we are not just protecting the company. We are helping it to grow more intelligently.
states a risk director in the technology, information and communications sector in Australia.
This is how the Risk and Finance functions can become true allies of growth: not by automatically saying ‘yes’, but by helping the business determine when, how and under what conditions to move forward. A culture of business risk management that allows you to keep your world open without losing control.
Does your risk culture slow down your growth even though you’re not aware of it?
> Move from a protective ‘no’ to a secure ‘yes’: learn more on our full study to benefit from the Open Advantage roadmap and its 5 strategies to unlock your growth.
> You too can keep your world open: contact your local expertsnow to better assess your commercial risks and grow with confidence
