Operational Risk now OCC’s top concern

Operational risk has eclipsed credit risk as national banks’ chief safety and soundness challenge, Comptroller of Currency Thomas Curry told the Exchequer Club in Washington, D.C., last week.

Operational risk – the risk of loss due to failures of people, processes, systems and external events – is “high and increasing,” Curry said.  He cited flawed risk models, lack of adequate controls over third party vendors and anti-money laundering efficiencies as some examples of operational risk.

“[A]s banks and thrifts face greater resource constraints and higher compliance costs, they may feel greater pressure to economize on systems and processes in order to enhance their income and operating economies …,” Curry said. “All institutions … must resist the temptation to under-invest in the systems and controls they need to prevent greater risk and larger losses in the future.”

He emphasized the risk of operational failure is embedded in every activity and product – from a bank’s processing, accounting and information systems to the implementation of its credit risk management procedures.

“No issues look larger today than operational risk in all its dimensions, the manner in which all risks interact, and the importance of managing those risks in an integrated fashion across the entire enterprise,” Curry said. “These themes are a supervisory priority for us at the OCC today and they should similarly command the attention of the industry.”

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All Business Values are the Same

In my experience coaching businesses for operational resilience I’ve found that all businesses are inherently the same.  Just as they can internally organize themselves into three simple zones of selling, making and managing, they can also break down their operational values into four categories 

1.  Happy staff – Employees who are generally satisfied enough to stick around and get the job done to (at least) a minimal specification.

2. Happy Stakeholders – Clients/Customers/Shareholders/etc that get what they expect from their relationship with the business.

3. Profit – Not just production or income, making money on top of what the job costs.

4. Generally likable - Be it regulators or media groups, if the business is not “generally likable”, the business can ultimately be  made very uncomfortable and even fail if it’s not generally likable.  It’s comes down to sustainability and, if brought to an intolerable level it’s a serious risk.  I’d love to hear your suggestions on better names for this category.  For example, when several senior managers fraudulently and unethically used the business for their own gain at the high cost of your employees and shareholders, your business is probably generally unlikable.  When an employee is using your business opportunities to get access to young children they are also abusing, your business is probably generally unlikable.  You get the picture.

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How Excellent Companies Avoid Dumb Things – 12 Principles

I just finished an excellent book on driving change in business: Neil Smith’s “How Excellent Companies Avoid Dumb Things”

Here’s the 12 principles that cut through the barriers:

1. The CEO must personally lead and support and change process carried out across the entire organization and a majority of senior management must also support it.
2. The entire organization must be engaged in the change process.
3. The project must be guided by “stars” who are willing to change the status quo.
4. There must be no up-front targets for the company as a whole or the individual departments within it.
5. Those who will implement the idea must own the idea.
6. It must be easy to put ideas into the change process but hard to remove them.
7. Consideration of ideas must be based on facts and analysis, not opinion.
8. Consensus must be built.
9. There must be a focus on increasing revenue, not just reducing expenses.
10. The change process must not disrupt normal business.
11. Implementation must be nothing less than 100 percent.
12. The change process must be about culture change, not just a completed project.

Smith is right, constructive change that you want to see in your business is going to begin at the top and must be measured and deliberate.  Don’t mistake success for luck.  It’s not going to come easy!

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A Day without Business Event

It might be an auto repair shop washed away by a flood. A dentist’s office scorched by a fire. A dry cleaner hit by a tornado. A pet store frozen by an ice storm and power outage. There are lots of sorts of businesses, and lots of kinds of disasters, but one thing remains the same: businesses disrupted by disaster permanently close their doors at an alarming rate. In fact, according to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, one in four small businesses closed by a disaster never re-opens.

So, when the unthinkable happens, will you be prepared to lead your business through the crisis? Preparedness is the key! By creating a disaster recovery and business continuity plan, your business can increase its recovery capabilities dramatically. A plan can help you make the right decisions quickly, cut downtime, and minimize financial losses. It can even help you avoid certain disasters through planning and mitigation measures.

The prospect of creating and implementing such a plan can be daunting, but business leaders in Tulsa have a unique opportunity to get a head start on the process by attending A Day Without Business, a business continuity summit hosted by Tulsa Partners’ Disaster Resistant Business Council.

A Day Without Business will take place on Thursday, March 15, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn – City Center in downtown Tulsa. Registration is open through March 2, online at www.tulsapartners.org or by phone at 918-632-0044. The cost for the one-day event is $65, and space is limited.

The event’s opening speaker will be Tulsa Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mike Neal. The luncheon keynote speakers will be Rob O’Brian and Tonya Sprenkle, President and Vice President of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, who will share about their Chamber’s experience with the May 2011 Joplin Tornado.

The lead sponsors for A Day WithoutBusiness are Tulsa Partners’ Disaster Resistant Business Council, State Farm Insurance, TRC Disaster Solutions and Williams. Other participating organizations for the event include the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, Titan Data Services and the Tulsa Health Department.

For more information about A Day Without Business, contact Tulsa Partners at 918-632-0044, tulsapartners@gmail.com, or www.TulsaPartners.org.

Written by guest blogger Jessica Hill

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10 Simple Planning Actions to Increase Your Consistency of Exceeding Customer Expectations

Many executives ask themselves: “I know the basics about critical processes and mission-critical systems but what can I do to really make a difference in our ability to consistently exceed our customer’s expectations?”

 One way is to focus on increasing your business value and to sustain that value regardless of expected or unexpected circumstances. Below are 10 planning actions that you can take to support your mission critical value proposition.

10. Don’t be satisfied with a computer backup plan.  When your clients ask what’s the #1 reason they should use your company, do you say it’s your technology?  Probably not.  Why are you relying on technology to save you in a disaster?

9. Ask questions.  What are your employees doing in their personal lives for emergency readiness?  What are their concerns?  How can you help them?

8. Talk about operational risk and continuity management in business strategy meetings.  Talking is the first step to integrating it into the corporate culture.

7. Don’t count on vendors to pick up your slack in an emergency.  If it’s not written into your contract don’t put it in your plan.  Even then, always have a backup plan.

6. Know when to say there’s a problem.  Chances are you’re not going to be the one to first notice something is wrong.  If you are ignoring business deficiencies, others are too.

5. Know your emergency response plan.  Every natural hazard has a professional group that monitors it and knows how to respond.  The response plans are usually free online.  Get a good plan for the basic natural disasters in your area.  Keep it simple and your bases covered.

4. Don’t focus on the fear.  It’s easy to look at the unlimited disaster scenarios and get overwhelmed.  Instead look at what’s really important – a strong business plan.

3. Make a list of what is really important to your business.  Keep it short – not more than ten points (tops!).  Share it with everyone – your boss, your employees, your clients, your partners.

2. Build relationships with three key responders.  This could be your local police department or a criticalvendor.  The point is being on a first name basis with the person who has the answers you’re going to need during your emergency.

1. Create a solid employeecommunications plan and test it quarterly or more often.  People are your greatest asset; know how to connect with them.  Set standards and make them clear.

Still unsure or need help developing a road map to make your path simple?  We’re here for you.  Call now for a free consultation.    888-297-PLAN

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