Misconception #1: Identifying Risks Is the First Step in Risk Management
摘要
This chapter challenges the conventional wisdom that risk management should begin with exhaustive risk identification. Through an analysis of the West Fertilizer Company explosion, the authors demonstrate how contextual blindness, rather than ignorance of hazards, drives catastrophic outcomes. Arguing that risks gain meaning only through organizational interpretation, the chapter reframes risk identification as a by-product of environmental intelligence, stakeholder mapping, and resource analysis. Rather than compiling abstract lists of potential threats, organizations must develop contextual fluency to connect hazards to their territorial, regulatory, and cultural contexts. The proposed approach shifts the focus from documentation to actionable preparedness, emphasizing adaptability over prediction.