I think Bill's question is great, although I think it might need to be
framed differently. What I would fear is either the "We're doing all of
things that that we're required to do under the law." sort of answer or
one where the guy looks at you and blinks because he has absolutely no
idea of what you're talking about (if you're not a lawyer, I suspect
that the Civil Procedures are off the radar screen). To my thinking,
getting real specific with something that 1) you know lots about and 2)
it's likely the CEO doesn't know much about -- are recipes for disaster
because you've put the CEO in a position of looking like he doesn't
have command of the business. I guess I'm of a mind that says you're in
a better position to address what you know are the business' hot
buttons. If you can solve a problem that you know they are worried
about, ask how you can help.

And maybe another approach is to work your way up the chain of command
in your own organization first before tossing a grenade at the CEO. If
you're the only one who "gets" RM, does your boss know what you're
doing? Does he or she "get" it? Does that person's boss know what
you're doing? And so on... If you can get to the level of a direct
report to the CEO, is there a way that you can prime the pump? In other
words, can you talk to that level of management and get their insight
on how to broach the subject in this forum? If the pump is primed --
which means the CEO kinda expects the question and is prepared to
answer -- you're in a good place to ask Bill's question -- and then get
an answer like, "You, know, we were just talking about that the other
day and I'm glad you asked. We think we're in good shape, but I bet we
could do better. I've asked (someone in your chain of command) to put
together a team to address this and I suspect that you're going to be
interested in participating..."  Now your culture may be different and
your CEO may love the hard, detailed questions and hitting him with
something more direct may be the way to get things done. Only you can
know that approach. But, it's been my experience that folks above you
in the chain of command hate surprises -- and people between you and
the CEO hate to be asked by the CEO, "Why didn't anyone tell me about
this issue that Suzanne brought up?" So making sure that folks in the
chain of command are aware of what you'd like to see addressed seems
like a very good idea. Again, know your company's culture in that
regard.

Patrick Cunningham, CRM

Patrick Cunningham, CRM
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"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

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