Asset Protection and Loss Prevention professionals are experts at one thing:
Finding risk.
We see it before others do. We’re trained to spot vulnerabilities in process, behavior, design, and intent. It’s what makes us valuable.
But here’s the uncomfortable question:
What if we’ve become so good at finding risk that we’ve made it our identity?
And what if that identity is limiting our influence?
Spend five minutes in most AP/LP meetings and you’ll hear it:
- “That creates exposure.”
- “That increases shrink.”
- “That opens us up to liability.”
- “That’s a control failure waiting to happen.”
We are professionally wired to say, “Here’s what could go wrong.”
The problem?
The rest of the executive team is wired to ask, “Here’s how we grow.” When every conversation starts with risk, we unintentionally position ourselves as the department of resistance.
And resistance rarely gets promoted.
When Protection Becomes Prevention of Progress
There’s a subtle but important shift that happens in organizations. At first, AP/LP exists to protect the business. Over time, if we’re not careful, we start protecting the business from itself.
New initiative? Let’s list the risks. New store format? Let’s slow it down. New technology? Let’s test it for six months. New merchandising strategy? Let’s add three controls.
Now, don’t misread this. Controls matter. Guardrails matter. Risk mitigation matters.
But if our default posture is caution instead of collaboration, we become the speed bump instead of the seatbelt. One slows the car down. The other allows it to go faster — safely.
Which one are we?
The Growth Conversation We Avoid
Here’s a hard truth:
Many AP/LP leaders are more comfortable talking about loss than growth. Loss feels measurable. Contained. Historical. Growth feels messy. Predictive. Shared.
It requires us to understand:
- Sales drivers
- Margin structure
- Customer behavior
- Inventory flow
- Merchandising strategy
- Digital integration
- Labor economics
It requires us to speak in terms of trade-offs instead of threats.
That’s a different muscle.
And if we don’t build it, we stay in the risk silo.
Risk Is Not the Enemy — Isolation Is
The irony is this: organizations need risk leaders more than ever.
Retail is volatile. Margins are thin. Workplace violence is rising. Fraud is evolving. Customer expectations are unforgiving. But the companies that thrive don’t eliminate risk. They balance it.
And that balance requires someone who can say: “Yes, there’s risk here — and here’s how we manage it without killing the upside.” That’s a very different voice than: “No, that’s too risky.”
One gets invited back. The other gets worked around.
Have We Confused Control With Leadership?
Controls are tangible. Policies are visible. Audits are measurable. Leadership is influence.
And influence requires trust. If merchants believe we only show up to say “no,” they stop inviting us early. If operators believe we don’t understand their labor reality, they stop listening.
If finance believes we can’t translate risk into ROI, they stop funding us. Not because they dislike AP/LP, but because we made risk our whole personality.
The Evolution That Has to Happen
What if AP/LP leaders started asking different questions?
Instead of: “How do we prevent loss here?” We ask: “How do we enable growth safely?”
Instead of: “What controls are missing?” We ask: “What design would reduce risk naturally?”
Instead of: “Who’s accountable when this fails?” We ask: “What would make this succeed without creating exposure?”
Same expertise. Different posture.
That shift moves us from enforcement to enablement.
From compliance partner to business architect.
From necessary function to strategic differentiator.
The Real Test
Here’s a simple gut check.
When senior leadership debates a bold new initiative, do they:
A) Call AP/LP early to help shape it?
B) Inform AP/LP after it’s already approved?
C) Hope AP/LP doesn’t notice?
If the answer isn’t A most of the time, we should pause before blaming “lack of appreciation.”
Influence isn’t claimed. It’s granted. And it’s granted to leaders who help others move forward — not just avoid backward steps.
So… Change My Mind
If you believe AP/LP’s primary value is identifying risk — and that leaning harder into controls, enforcement, and caution is the path to greater influence — I’d genuinely like to hear that argument.
But maybe our future isn’t in being the best at finding what’s wrong. Maybe it’s in becoming exceptional at helping the business get it right — safely. Risk will always be part of our job.
It just doesn’t have to be our identity.
Change my mind.
David E. George, CFE, CFI, is the Managing Partner of Calibration Group, Inc., and of its subsidiary, TalkLPnews. Previously, David served as Vice President of Asset Protection for Dollar General Stores, a company with more than 20,000 stores in 48 states. While serving Dollar General, David was responsible for the Asset Protection field team, the Asset Protection corporate team, the Shrink Improvement team, and the Shrink Analytics team.
Prior to Dollar General, David held the Vice President of Asset Protection position with Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Inc., a regional chain based in Charlotte, NC. He served Harris Teeter for more than 14 years and has had previous loss prevention leadership roles with Kmart Supercenters.
For more information about Calibration Group, visit www.calibrationgroup.com.