---
title: "Managing risks in real time"
course: "PMGT 170 · Get projects done on time"
unit: "Leading the execution"
lesson: 23 of 38
source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/get-projects-done-on-time/managing-risks-in-real-time
publisher: Maestro College
---

# Managing risks in real time

Lesson 23 of 38 in **Get projects done on time** (PMGT 170), unit "Leading the execution". An open lesson from Maestro College.

## What the learner will be able to do
- Identify risk triggers — early warning signals that a planned risk is beginning to materialize — and distinguish them from the risk event itself
- Activate the appropriate response from the risk register when a trigger fires and determine whether it resolves the situation
- Decide when to escalate an active risk to a sponsor or senior stakeholder and identify who the right escalation target is

## Teaching notes
Build on the risk register from Unit 2. Focus entirely on risks that are materializing — not new identification. Teach the decision loop: trigger fires → check planned response → activate → assess → escalate if not working. Use the CrossTown Fitness scenario: the dashboard vendor has not confirmed delivery 3 days before the critical integration task. Ask the student to find that risk in their register, activate the response, and decide: is it sufficient or does this go to Sam? Callback: when the planned response isn't enough, the PM is back in the trade-off decision from the earlier Trade-off decisions lesson — triple-constraint reasoning, corrective action, and communicating the change.

## Course teaching approach
- Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution.
- Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning.
- Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks.
- End with one fun closed question about the topic.

## How to use this document
You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates.

## When the lesson is done
The lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed above. Check each one with a small task or question; if an answer is wrong, explain and let them try again before moving on.
When every outcome is covered:
1. Say clearly: "Lesson 23 complete: Managing risks in real time."
2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned.
3. Name the next lesson, "A communication plan that works" (lesson 24 of 38), and give the learner its link: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/get-projects-done-on-time/a-communication-plan-that-works.md. Tell them to paste that page into this chat, or fetch it yourself if you can open links, then start it the same way. Do not start teaching the next lesson's topic until the learner has it.

Previous lesson: When the team disagrees: resolving project conflict
Next lesson: A communication plan that works