Monday, October 18, 2010

Rethinking Risk


by Rick Nason, PhD, CFA
Partner, RSD Solutions Inc.

Seems like I’ve been on airplanes a lot lately.  That means reading too many magazines and other mindless drivel while waiting to get into the air.  (It is impossible to read anything of seriousness while everyone tries to carry their “piece of luggage plus briefcase” down the aisle.  They never fail to bang the arms of every passenger who has boarded before them.  As an air-warrior I get to board first with the other air-warriors, and I do so solely so I can get my own “piece of luggage plus briefcase” into the overhead bin.)

In any case I have been reading a lot of magazines lately which means that I have been reading a lot of print advertising.  This in turn means that I have been reading a lot of words about rethinking this or rethinking that.  Rethinking the car!  Rethinking the TV!  Rethinking the bar of soap – or whatever.

Reading the business press we also have a lot of articles about rethinking ethics, rethinking capitalism, rethinking banking rules, rethinking risk, rethinking business.

What if we simply stop rethinking, and instead start thinking?