12/16/15: In our personal lives, “Think before you speak” has probably occurred to most of us after we’ve loosened our tongues. In the world of compliance communications, it’s a good idea to remember that adage (and a few more) in developing a program that achieves its goals. In fact, Lisa...
Compliance Communications Blog
Part II: Audience Analysis
As I mentioned in part one of this series, this step in the communication planning process should happen early to avoid messaging pitfalls (like too much, too little, mis-alignment, etc). Understanding these key points will help you understand who you should target based on their roles, interests, and knowledge:
How important is a communication strategy to your compliance program? Getting the message out to your employees, third parties, and stakeholders will make your program stick and, over time, create a culture of compliance and ethics within your organization. Communication is an integral part of your program, but don’t take my word for it; here’s an excerpt from the 22nd Annual Ethics and Compliance Conference (you can read the full transcript here):
Compliance programs must be put into place and—more importantly—communicated repeatedly and enforced properly throughout the entire organization.
A company should implement mechanisms designed to ensure that its compliance code is effectively communicated to all directors, officers, employees. This means repeated communication, frequent and effective training, and an ability to provide guidance when issues arise.
-Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell at the 22nd Annual Ethics and Compliance Conference, October 1, 2014
11/17/15: There’s something particularly disheartening about the public exposure of misconduct in a company with a reputation for ethics and quality. These highly visible companies have spent millions of dollars on compliance programs with carefully crafted Codes...
11/17/15: An article by Jeff Kaplan for Corporate Compliance Insights focuses attention on an oft-overlooked aspect of corporate compliance: the compliance and ethics responsibilities of company managers. Kaplan acknowledges typical duties such as leading by example and maintaining...