It was a perfect Saturday morning for sailing. The sun felt warm on my skin, the sea shimmered like glass, and a gentle breeze made the sails ripple softly. I leaned against the rails of the boat, letting myself just… breathe. After a week of endless calls, emails, and deadlines, this quiet felt almost unreal.
Then, almost without warning, the wind shifted. Clouds rolled in faster than I expected, and the boat wobbled unevenly. My eyes flicked to the boat owner. She was gripping the edge of the deck, a little white-knuckled, her brows furrowed.
“Should we turn back?” she asked, her voice barely above the wind.
Before I could even think of an answer, one of the crew reached into a waterproof bag and pulled out a folded chart. It wasn’t flashy, just a well-worn map showing possible storm paths, shifting winds, and safe harbors. He spread it carefully on the deck. “If we adjust here,” he said, pointing to a narrow channel, “we can avoid the roughest patches.”
The owner exhaled slowly, almost as if she had been holding her breath without realizing it. Relief softened her face, and I noticed her shoulders finally relax. They leaned over the map together, tracing lines with their fingers, whispering and pointing, deciding which way to steer. In that moment, the storm outside felt… manageable. I couldn’t help but think, Why can’t projects be like this? Everyone knowing the risks, everyone figuring it out together, no one scrambling at the last second?
What was the problem?
Back at work, it usually wasn’t like this. I often found myself in the dark about risks. Sometimes, the supplier team’s Project Manager hesitated to flag issues to the customer team, worried about stepping on toes. By the time things came to light, deadlines were slipping, budgets were stretching, and confidence was starting to wobble.
The root cause was obvious. We didn’t have a shared risk register. Risks weren’t being tracked in delivery reviews. There were no regular risk meetings with the customer. And, unintentionally, the supplier team sometimes held back, trying to protect their own boundaries. The result? Projects felt like boats caught in a storm without warning.
How we fixed it
That had to change. With WonderBiz, we started simple. First, we created a shared risk register, something both the customer and our team could see and update. Every risk had an owner, a priority, and a plan. Then, we tracked those risks in our delivery reviews and held monthly risk discussions with the client. No surprises. No hidden problems.
The WonderBiz Project Manager made it conversational. “Here’s what we see ahead. Let’s figure out how to handle it together,” he’d say. And it worked. The customer started asking questions, suggesting ideas, and contributing to mitigation plans. What had once been a one-way update became a real conversation.
Learning from it
The impact? Immediate. Customers felt more confident. “Now we know what’s coming. No surprises,” one of them said. Risk mitigation improved because both sides were spotting issues early. And in real terms, we saw 5% faster releases, all because we were upfront about what could go wrong.
The lesson? Projects don’t fail because of storms. They fail because one side sails blind. A shared risk register isn’t just a document; it’s a map that lets both teams steer together. At WonderBiz, we make sure the customer (boat owner) and supplier (crew) navigate side by side. When risks are shared and visible, even the roughest waters can be managed, and everyone reaches the destination safely.
Want to see how a Shared Risk Register can make your projects run smoother? Email us at info@wonderbiz.in and we’ll show you how to get started.
