Staying Committed to Program Goals

Be sure to set written goals at the beginning of each year or quarter. When you commit to written goals and hold yourself accountable to a timeline, studies show that you are much more likely to accomplish what you set out to do. Writing down your goals for your program helps you to focus on what needs to be done to accomplish those goals, and also allows you to use your time wisely. Instead of simply fighting fires, you’ll accomplish more when you write down and commit to accomplishing your goals. Click to Tweet

Define and Practice Your Strategic Crisis Plan

When you face a crisis or bad news, think carefully about who you will tell, and in what order you will tell them. Do you need to tell the CEO, Board or General Counsel? People can be very territorial about information, so you’ll want to make a strategic decision. In addition to considering who to tell first, try to come up with a plan about how you’ll deal with the problem. If you come in with an immediate plan, people will feel more comfortable, and like you have everything under control. Click to Tweet

Believe in the Mission of Your Program

In order to be wildly effective, you must believe in the mission of your compliance program. When you get sad, stressed or defeated, remember that you are part of a movement changing the world. You are a member of a special group of people ensuring a more just and more fair world. Your due diligence program may not seem life-altering, but the power of the compliance and ethics movement as a whole will and has changed the world. Click to Tweet

How to Command the Attention of a Room

When you’re giving a presentation or live training, stand at the front of the room and smile at people as they come in. Make eye contact and tell people you’re happy to be there. Tell them you’re excited or grateful that they’re there. Your energy is contagious, and people will be intrigued about what you have to say. Click to Tweet

The Most Important Question to Ask Reporters

One of the most important things you can do when listening to a person who is reporting a compliance violation or making a whistle-blower complaint is to ask them the following question, “Is there anything else you think I should know?” This open-ended question allows the person to think about whether there is anything that they failed to tell you because they weren’t sure it was relevant. It opens up the possibility of being told details or additional stories which will help you with the case. Click to Tweet