Slip! Slop! Slap!

I was contemplating my risk owner hats analogy post a bit more this week. It seemed to hit a cord with a few people because it was a simple message.

Simple messaging is powerful because it promotes thought and hopefully action.

I remember this simple education campaign when I was younger about skin cancer prevention.

Slip on a shirt! Slop on sunscreen! And Slap on a hat.

There was even a song!

It worked well. I was a kid growing up in Australia, with immigrant parents of Irish- and Scandi-decent. My skin was not made for Queensland and our, at the time CFC-damaged ozone layer.

A Skin Cancer example of Risk Management

Let’s give this post a risk flavour. Skin cancer was the consequence, and the likelihood of occurrence for me was very high! The doctors and scientists who knew the risks best, helped design the controls they thought we all needed to mitigate that risk. Later, they added two more S's... Seek (shade) and Slide (on sunglasses) because they found a couple of new key controls they thought we needed to know!

When it came to sun protection, how would I have ever taken notice without the catchy alliteration and song? Possibly only by suffering the consequences of severe sun burn itself?!

So back to the hats analogy. It’s so important that the expectations for managing risk that are crafted are heard by those in your business who own the risk (those "Slap-on-a-hat" risk owners). But how many risk specialist embark on an advertising campaign internally? How closely are the people in Risk and Internal Comms working?

Some change-savvy Risk Specialists know the importance of this. I’m thinking of the ACSC’s “Essential Eight”, with its catchy title (and more alliteration) it’s becoming common language and feels achievable and important.

I’m keen to hear from my network about eye-catching ways they have seen or been engaged with risk and control content. What interesting hook or angle made you sit up and listen?

PS. thanks also to the climate scientists who managed to convince governments to ban CFCs, forever grateful for your data-informed recommendations and responsive controls 💚