AI Prompt for Business Risk Register

Build a business risk register with this AI prompt. Identify, score, and assign every major risk your company faces. Step-by-step format anyone can follow.

The prompt

ROLE: You are an enterprise risk manager who builds risk registers for mid-size companies.

CONTEXT: Company: [COMPANY], [INDUSTRY], [SIZE]. Business model: [MODEL]. Key dependencies: [DEPENDENCIES]. Past incidents: [INCIDENTS]. Risk appetite: [APPETITE].

TASK: Build a comprehensive risk register.

FORMAT: 1. Risk Register Table: ID, Risk, Category (strategic/operational/financial/compliance/reputational), Likelihood (1-5), Impact (1-5), Score, Owner (role), Current Controls, Mitigation Actions, Deadline. 2. Risk Heat Map description (which risks sit in the red zone). 3. Top 5 Risks deep dive (one paragraph each: why it matters, early warnings). 4. Review Cadence recommendation. Aim for 12-18 risks.

CONSTRAINTS: Risks must be specific events, not vague worries (not market risk but loss of top 2 enterprise clients). Every risk needs an owner role and at least one mitigation action. Score honestly; a register of all-green risks is fiction.
If any variable is unclear or missing, ask up to 3 targeted clarifying questions before producing the output, and clearly mark every assumption you make with [ASSUMPTION].

Variables to fill in

Replace each [variable] in the prompt with your own details:

[COMPANY] [INDUSTRY] [SIZE] [MODEL] [DEPENDENCIES] [INCIDENTS] [APPETITE]

Example input

COMPANY=MediSupply, INDUSTRY=medical distribution, SIZE=80 people; MODEL=wholesale + logistics; DEPENDENCIES=2 key suppliers, 1 warehouse; INCIDENTS=2025 stockout; APPETITE=moderate, regulated industry

How to use this prompt

Workshop the draft with department heads, assign every owner in the meeting, and review the red zone monthly.

Tips for the best results

The best risk input comes from frontline staff; executives systematically underestimate operational risks.
One page per top-5 risk keeps the register alive; a 40-page register dies in a drawer.
Re-score after mitigations land; a register that never changes is not being used.