Your choice of goals is your choice of risk
Your tool for strategic goal- and risk management. It guides you in choosing goals, determining their risk states, and developing an effective risk strategy and culture to achieve them.
The De-Risk Matrix treats goals, risks, and culture as deeply interconnected elements — each refining the other to create a coherent strategic picture.
Refined by defining boundaries for uncertainty. This involves creating a goal range with an upper limit (the target value) and a lower limit (the threshold value), giving each goal a meaningful corridor rather than a single point target.
Refined by strategically focusing on the risk state of goals rather than only individual risks. This shifts attention from isolated risk events to the overall health and trajectory of your strategic objectives.
Refined by presenting recommended cultural practices for each risk state to increase the chances of effective risk management. Culture is recognised as one of the primary barriers against goal achievement.
"The De-Risk Matrix acts as a canary in the coal mine for businesses and projects."
By January, you can predict goal achievements and risk levels for the next six months — enabling proactive, evidence-based decisions rather than reactive crisis management.
The practical application of the De-Risk Matrix encompasses four key process steps. Each step demands a thorough understanding of the interplay between goals, risks and actions. The cycle should be repeated whenever significant changes occur.
The De-Risk Matrix does not replace your current strategic frameworks — it complements and unifies them. It acts as a unifying platform to consolidate insights from the tools you already use, with risk management as a foundational approach.
Unlike other frameworks, the De-Risk Matrix focuses on achieving harmony between ambition and capacity, ensuring the goals you set align with your organisation's actual capacity to achieve them.
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"Traditionally, risk has meant 'how big the hole in the floor is' — probability multiplied by negative consequence. But the modern ISO 31000 definition looks upward: how high the building is, and how high it could grow. Risk is the effect of uncertainty on objectives — and that is exactly what the De-Risk Matrix is built upon."
Magnus Bjelkerud developed the De-Risk Matrix after identifying a critical gap in existing frameworks: none effectively integrated strategic goal-setting with structured risk management and organisational culture. The methodology has been refined through real-world pilots and collaborations with specialists in design, leadership, and cultural transformation.
Read the Full StoryTo get the most out of the De-Risk Matrix, your organisation should embrace these five foundational principles.
Goals must have both a target value (upper limit) and a threshold value (lower limit), creating a meaningful range rather than a single fixed point.
Align with the ISO 31000 definition of risk as "the effect of uncertainty on objectives" — a forward-looking, opportunity-aware perspective.
Combine forecast and evidence levels to assess risk states. Decisions should be grounded in data, not assumptions.
Recognise that leadership shapes organisational culture, and that culture is one of the primary barriers against goal achievement.
Understand and act on risk state urgency levels, using colour gradients to prioritise attention and resources where they matter most.
The De-Risk Matrix is free to use. Start applying it today, or get in touch to explore how we can support your organisation.