In principle, in any organisation when you ask about the rules, the regulations or the procedures invariably you will get the correct answer, a true lip service. When that organisation walks the talk and only then a Compliance Culture exists.
It is when compliance becomes a way of thinking and a way of working, no second thoughts. As any corporate culture it is hard work, it requires training and hard work. The rules and regulations have to be explained, their value stressed (sometimes it is hard when the rule itself is not well written or defined) and most importantly the consequences of non compliance have to be explained, in terms of how it affects the person and the organisation.
A Compliance Culture does not kill creativity or innovation, considering all our actions should comply with existing rules, but rather fosters these attributes by allowing people to come out with better ways to operate and even push the envelop of compliance.
An interesting discussion was occurring in a LinkedIn group about this. I have now become convinced that compliance will always be a problem - partly due to outdated or inappropriate rules, but mainly due to the fact that a significant percentage of people do not see 'wrongdoing' as a problem.
ReplyDeleteThe answer will lie in the balance between rules and ability to get anything done. If there are so many rules for a given situation that a person cannot operate within them, that person will become discouraged and may even leave that situation in fear of ultimately getting in serious trouble for inadvertently crossing a line. There are many situations where people have done just this.
A good compliance program is one that seeks this balance - not over regulating, not relying on ethics that some people just do not possess.