Compliance Challenges and Communication
Updated: Apr 12, 2022
Compliance Consultant- Compliance Officer- you are the guides !
Despite of leaking data = safety and compliance breaches the past few years, the issue of compliance is still often neglected. However, the expectations towards companies have changed permanently due to the tightening of the national and international legal framework. The truth is, every breach will impact the company's reputation while competitors might have got hold on sensitive data or the company being fined not following compliance regulations.
The “Three Cs of Compliance” are critical to ensuring the success of a compliance program. Without addressing and implementing change management, effective communication, and support from all departments will be left with a compliance program, which is only on paper but not lived.
Change Management
Corporations change slowly their company culture..
as many compliance officers know, changing the culture is no easy task. There is not only an economic effect on change but also a psychological effect on humans with change, and change is first and foremost ....'scary'.
We must remember that compliance officers mean change.
So, you are the 'threat'. Basic human instinct.
The whole process of implementing compliance is a sign of breaking some old structures, internal controls are shifted and added. To effectively bring about change, compliance officers need to align themselves with allies in other departments (great article) that favor positive change as well.
On the other hand, alliances may form against compliance-driven change, undermining the mission of compliance officers. Again, to counteract this tide, compliance officers must keep close to like-minded individuals. Forming business and personal relationships with these individuals can be as important as how the compliance program is formally presented and communicated to senior executives.
Compliance involves building relationships and leading by example.
Communication
Effective communication is one of the biggest challenges faced by compliance officers. Compliance officers must work closely with human resources and marketing to communicate the organization’s message. This message cannot only reside on e-mail. It is too easy for managers and employees to ignore a compliance-related email, particularly if the e-mail is not customized to that employee or corporate function.
To supplement compliance related e-mails from the CEO or CCO, a compliance department may consider an internal newsletter to reach employees. A consistent compliance newsletter is a very effective tool for compliance officers.
What about a SharePoint Site dedicated to Compliance. Written in an easy understandable way. You need to adjust to a non-technical language to meet the person, who supposed to use your compliance tools one day !
Depending on the size of the organization and available resources, a company-wide compliance day is also a fun and meaningful way to get the message across. Compliance officers should be involved and create short Updates and new Information as PowerPoint slides introduced by or with the help of senior and middle managers to express meaningful compliance messages at their weekly team meetings. Similar to safety messages, the compliance messages can be communicated prior to the items on the regular team meeting agenda. Whatever method is used, compliance officers need to employ strategies designed to make their messages interesting and relevant for managers and employees. In the end, it falls on the compliance officer’s shoulders to ensure that the compliance word gets out.
Compliance Adoption
Without addressing and implementing change management, effective communication, and support from all departments will be left with a compliance program, which is only on paper but not lived.Understand to be a part in an constant evolving part of your company. Information is your best asset. Ask to be included in weekly meetings with HR or business team, show interest and ask questions about the project or product. The information gained from these discussions will be critical in developing a compliance program. Think about launching training and pilot programs and focus groups to make sure a compliance process is well understood and rightsized before launching. From a technical point of view: Set your DLP Policies and Sensitivity Policies in Training mode.Try it out first ! This is best practice as Compliance Admin. If launch and adoption must be done remotely, have daily calls with the appropriate functions in the first few weeks to test the roll-out. Remember, if the compliance process is rolled out too soon or is not tailored to the business, the compliance department will lose credibility and employees will protest that the compliance process is not practical.
There is no ready-made compliance solution. The cornerstone is a good corporate culture that is built up through communication work, homogeneous teamwork and, above all, exemplary leadership.
It is essential to initiate a sustainable culture change through the management level, to perceive employees as co-entrepreneurs and to provide a user-friendly compliance platform.
Legally compliant behavior becomes a competitive advantage. Executives must be aware of this special role and responsibility. They need to protect their assets and future.Or would you follow the sign on a hiking track to the left in wilderness while your mountain guide is marching to the right?
Inspired and partially adopted: the Article of Michael Volkov - Gan Integrity
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