Taking Responsible Risks

What does it mean?

Giving things a go even if at first they seem a little scary. It doesn't have to be skydiving, it might be a sharing a new idea with your class, trying a new strategy, making new friends or trying something you always thought was too hard for you. Adding some adventure to your life and seeking out a challenge.

Why does it matter?

For everything we do there is a first time and in most cases the first attempt is frightening, but unless you give it a go you will never try anything new.

When should you use it?

When you are faced with a challenge and have to overcome your fears to give it a go. When you need to step outside your comfort zone.

An example:

5 Top Strategies:

1. Have a go, take a chance, try something new
2. Do a Risk Analysis - What could go wrong? What is likely to go wrong in reality? Can you minimise the risks? What are the advantages? Are the advantages worth the risk?
3. One step at a time, Baby Steps to Success. You don't have to sail around the world on your fist day in a boat.
4. Listen to the advice of experts, people who have done what you are trying to do. Look to a hero for inspiration, 'Eddie would go'.
5. Don't overthink, sometimes just doing it is the best remedy to a stomach full of butterflies.

5 Questions to ask about your thinking:

1. What are you most afraid of? Is it a real life or death fear or is it talking in public?
2. Use you inner voice to calm yourself; 'All I have to do is . . .  and it will be over in minutes, and I will feel great'.
3. Use questions to lead you to new ways of thinking - 'What would it be like if  . . .?' 'How would things be different if . . .?' 'What if I changed  . . .?'
4. Think of a time you tried something new and it went well. How did you feel afterwards? How can you recapture that feeling?
5. How do you take your next step forward? Seek challenges that are physical, mental, social, philosophical. . .

Thinking Routines for Taking Responsible Risks 

1.  I used to think . . . Now I think . . . - Used here to reflect on how your thinking has changed after taking a risk.
2. Tug of War - Now the dilemma is; do you take the risk or do you avoid it. Use the analogy of a Tug Of War to weigh your options. On one end of the string place ideas that support taking the risk, on the other ideas for not taking it. Use this to guide your decision.
3. Hot Spots for Weighing Risks - Identify a risk in the situation, a negative outcome. How likely is it to occur, from certain to a remote chance? How bad would it be if it did occur on a scale from world ending to a slightly red-face?
4. Question Starts - Use this strategy to generate good questions and identify new ways of exploring a topic or identifying new topics for exploration. Use when you need to challenge your thinking and take some risks with your thinking or bring some creativity back into your ideas.
   1. Brainstorm a list of 12 questions or more about your topic. Use these question starters to help you:
      1. Why...?
      2. How would it be different if...?
      3. What are the reasons...?
      4. Suppose that...?
      5. What if...?
      6. What if we knew...?
      7. What is the purpose of...?
      8. What would change if...?
   2. Review the questions and mark those you find most interesting, share with a friend and discuss 'what makes it an interesting question?'. Reflect on the process and explore ways to investigate your questions.

Thinking Routines adapted from Harvard's 'Visible Thinking Resource Book'