How to stay focused when dealing with risk fatigue

Many organisations believe they’re crisis ready - but fewer truly are. That was the uncomfortable truth revealed by our Risk Radar survey of 500 crisis and security risk managers, discussed at our recent panel event hosted in London, “The risk illusion: Bridging the gap between belief and readiness”.

Our survey highlighted cyber threats, supply chain disruption and geopolitical tension as top concerns. But the panel conversation quickly moved beyond plans and protocols. It focused on culture - the habits, clarity and accountability that build resilience long before anything goes wrong.

And that led to a practical question from the audience. Dominique Conteh, Compliance and Risk Manager at Bauer Media Group asked: When new risks keep emerging and regulatory expectations shift every quarter, how do you keep teams engaged without burning them out?

We live in an age of relentless disruption. From cyber-attacks and economic shocks to geopolitical instability and climate events, the list of potential crises grows longer by the day. The pressure to stay ahead of every risk wears teams down.

Fatigue shows up in slow decisions, bloated meetings and constant pivoting. It isn’t caused by volume, it’s caused by lack of focus.

1. Know your footprint - and stay within it

The first step in managing risk fatigue is understanding your organisation’s unique footprint. Where do you operate? What markets do you serve? What systems, suppliers or partners are critical to your success?
It’s tempting to react to every headline, but finite resources require prioritisation. Focus on the risks that have the highest likelihood and impact and tolerate those that don’t. An earthquake in a region where you have no presence may have residual effects on your supply chain, but it doesn’t need you to drop everything and develop a full earthquake response plan. 

It is about strategic focus. A clear understanding of your footprint helps you draw the line between what’s relevant and what’s just noise. It’s the foundation for every decision that follows.

2. Create a clear methodology - and stick to it

Once you’ve defined what matters, you need a consistent way to assess it. That’s where your risk register comes in. A transparent, unambiguous methodology is essential. How are you classifying risks? How are you assessing likelihood and impact? What thresholds trigger action? Who is responsible for keeping the register updated?

When teams understand how risks are scored and prioritised, they’re less likely to treat everything as urgent. As Andrew Devereux, Global Risk Intelligence Manager at Healix, added, it’s about communicating what’s urgent now, what’s worth watching, and what can wait. That clarity helps reduce the pressure to act on every alert.

A clear methodology gives people permission to focus - and that’s what keeps fatigue in check.

3. Accept that you can’t do it all

Even with a clear footprint and a solid methodology, you’ll still face hard choices. Every organisation has limits - of time, money, people and energy. Trying to prepare for every possible scenario is not only unrealistic, but also counterproductive. It leads to scattered efforts, unclear priorities and exhausted teams.

Instead, build a culture of risk tolerance. That means accepting that some risks won’t be actively managed - not because they’re unimportant, but because they’re less likely or less damaging than others. It’s about making conscious trade-offs and being honest about what you can and can’t take on.

Ask yourself: what are the top risks that could seriously disrupt our business? Are we investing enough to mitigate them? And where can we afford to take a calculated risk?

This approach doesn’t eliminate uncertainty. But it does give you control over how you respond to it.

4. Build adaptable crisis plans

One of the biggest mistakes organisations make is expending energy trying to predict every possible crisis and create a step-by-step plan for each. But crises rarely follow a script. Two PR disasters can look completely different in scope, impact and response.

That’s why your crisis management plan should be scenario-agnostic. It should focus on the how, not just the what. Who makes decisions? How do you escalate issues? What’s your communication protocol? Who are your go-to experts?

A good plan is like scaffolding - it supports your response, no matter what’s happening. It gives your team the confidence to act quickly and consistently, even in the face of the unknown. And when the structure is familiar, people don’t waste time figuring out the process - they focus on solving the problem that’s in front of them.

5. Bring it to life with real examples

If you want people to care, show them what happens when things go wrong. Case studies help translate risks to reality. Why did one retailer struggle during a cyberattack? Why did another recover quickly? Whether it’s internal pen testing or a competitor’s misstep, use real stories to make the risks tangible.

You don’t need all the facts - just enough to spark reflection. “Do you want this to happen to us?” is often the moment people start paying attention.

As James Clancey, Chief Risk Officer at Healix, shared: “In my experience, it’s the only way to keep people engaged. Otherwise, risk becomes abstract - and abstract risks rarely drive action.”

When you link the risk to a real event, people start to see the consequences. And once they do, they’re far more likely to support the policies and procedures that follow.

The bottom line

Risk fatigue is a symptom of our times, but it doesn’t have to define your organisation. By focusing on what matters, accepting what you can’t control, and building systems that flex under pressure, you can lead with confidence through whatever comes next.