Risk management should primarily focus on which of the following?

Risk management should primarily focus on identifying and managing potential risks because the core objective of risk management is to recognize various risks that an organization may face and to develop strategies to handle them effectively. This involves not only understanding what those risks are—whether they are financial, operational, reputational, or strategic—but also assessing their potential impact on the organization and determining ways to mitigate them or capitalize on them.

By focusing on identifying and managing risks, organizations can create a proactive approach to safeguarding assets, ensuring compliance, maintaining operational effectiveness, and ultimately achieving their objectives. This aligns with the overall goal of creating a resilient organizational framework that can adapt to uncertainties and changes in the environment.

While maximizing profits, minimizing all risk exposure, and reducing operational costs might be desirable goals for an organization, they do not address the foundational aspect of risk management. Simply aiming to minimize all risk exposure can lead to overly conservative strategies that may hinder growth and innovation. Likewise, focusing solely on profit maximization or cutting costs can overlook critical risks that, if not managed, could have detrimental effects on the organization's long-term success.