Leslie Boles, BA, CCS, CPC, CPMA, CHC, CPC-I, CRC’s Post

I have long believed that ethics and corporate culture are critical components of an effective compliance program, especially when dealing with unknowns. In reality, these drivers have less of an impact on addressing uncertainty about how to be compliant, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc. The Gartner survey, conducted in December 2023 among 1,012 employees, paints a concerning picture. Compliance uncertainty remains a prevalent issue despite the focus on building an ethical culture. This uncertainty often leads to non-compliance, a situation faced by most survey participants (a whopping 87% of respondents in the past 12 months). The survey reveals three primary situations that lead to non-compliance:  👉Situations of uncertainty (not understanding how to comply),  👉Rationalization (thinking that non-compliance is not wrong in a particular context), and 👉Malice (not complying despite knowing it is wrong). #corporateculture, #complianceprogram, #ethicscompliance Make sure you take a look at this survey: https://lnkd.in/eZRTjvcW

🌟 The Importance of Compliance with Organizational Ethics and Behavior🌟 In today’s complex business landscape, being compliant with organizational rules and ethics is crucial for success. Adhering to these standards is not just a matter of following guidelines; it’s about fostering a culture of accountability and integrity. 1. Ensuring Accountability: Compliance helps us hold ourselves and each other accountable, reinforcing our commitment to ethical behavior. 2. Mitigating Risks: By following established policies, we reduce the risk of legal issues and reputational damage, ensuring a safer workplace for everyone. 3. Promoting Transparency: Compliance encourages open communication and transparency, which are essential for building trust among team members and stakeholders. 4. Enhancing Decision-Making: A clear understanding of ethical guidelines helps us make informed decisions, especially in challenging situations. Let’s commit to upholding these principles in our daily actions, creating an environment where ethics and compliance drive our success! #Compliance #OrganizationalEthics #Accountability #Integrity #BusinessConduct #WorkplaceCulture #RiskManagement #Transparency

Thank you to the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) for inviting me to contribute to this month's issue of CEP Magazine. Appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts on the business case for crisis management, communication best practices and the role and influence of compliance and ethics leaders. Check out the full article here: https://bit.ly/4dvbIM0 #crisiscommunication #complianceandethics #strategiccommunication #riskmanagement

Interesting article that sheds light on the challenges faced by Chief Compliance Officers in the largest fortune 500 companies. According to Amy Matsuo, Principal and National Leader, Compliance Transformation & Regulatory Insights, KPMG LLP, compliance officers are under acute pressure to enhance their effectiveness and efficiency while meeting increasing Board and regulator expectations. The task of ensuring compliance with company policies and standards can seem overwhelming, given the ongoing challenges and pressures. Empowered leadership and training are essential, but they are not enough to build a culture of accountability. The proper set of checks and balances and proactive responses to weak signals are also critical. Leveraging technology can help make a step change in this space. Compliance Officers should consider embracing the latest tools and solutions to enhance compliance programs and drive sustainable change. Let's work together to build a better future for our organizations and the industry as a whole. #compliance #technology #leadership #assurance #reliability #productivity #safety #environmental #sustainability

What's critical to the success of any organization? ethics, compliance, and risk management. As someone who's navigated complex, contractual, legal, and regulatory frameworks and ensured adherence to employment, IT and financial principles, diversity, and inclusion, I know firsthand the importance of ethical guidance when it comes to dealing with stakeholders. But here's the thing: Ethics and compliance are more than just words on a mission statement. They're living, breathing concepts that need to be integrated into the daily fabric of an organization - from the highest levels of leadership down to the front-line employees. Why? Because they help protect your organization from risks that can often have damaging consequences, and they foster a culture of transparency, accountability, integrity and trust. Here are the key ways organizations can embed ethics and compliance in their operations: 1. Build a culture of accountability, transparency, and integrity from the top down and from the bottom up. 2. Invest in training and resources to educate employees. 3. Integrate ethical considerations into decision-making processes. 4. Enhance auditing and compliance structures and processes from an independent and external agent. As professionals, it's is key to uphold the highest ethical standards and steer our organizations towards long-term success. So let's work together to foster a culture of integrity, transparency, compliance, and trust. #trust #ethics #compliance #integrity #longtermsuccess @ludci

“We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.” This could have been written by a compliance manager!😊   Building an #ethics and #compliance program from scratch can be daunting, especially when balancing regulatory requirements with organisational expectations. While it’s tempting to dive into complex frameworks and extensive tools, starting with simplicity in mind and focusing on small, strategic successes can help build the necessary momentum for long-term success.   These early milestones are small, achievable goals that offer tangible results. They’re particularly effective in the initial stages of developing an ethics and compliance program for a couple of reasons:   ✅ Ethics and compliance programs often face resistance, particularly when they require changes to existing behaviours or processes. Early successes help to demonstrate that the program can deliver real value quickly, turning doubters into supporters.   ✅ For compliance and ethics initiatives to succeed, they require organisational buy-in. Demonstrating progress through visible, early achievements builds the program's credibility and earns trust from employees and leadership.   The key to achieving these early wins lies in simplicity—focusing on high-impact, low-complexity initiatives that can be executed quickly while still yielding significant results. Simplicity is often overlooked when developing these programs, where there’s a tendency to emphasise complex policies and systems to manage regulations. However, the best way to build momentum is to start small and make use of available resources.   Rather than investing in complex compliance software from the outset, begin with basic, readily available digital tools and simple reporting mechanisms. This approach helps to lay the foundation and gather valuable data early on.   Compliance programs often overemphasise complex written policies, but influencing behaviour from the outset is just as important. For example, if an employee is about to sign off on a supplier contract, a system-generated notification could prompt, “Have you conducted a conflict-of-interest review?” This real-time reminder nudges employees to ensure that compliance considerations are part of their decision-making process.   Celebrating these early achievements is essential for maintaining momentum. Once early milestones are reached, ensure that these successes are communicated widely throughout the organisation.   Early achievements should be viewed as stepping stones toward the larger, more complex elements of the program. Use these early wins to showcase the value of the program and build the case for more extensive initiatives. #Generalcounsel #Inhousecounsel #legaltech

A recent report by LRN reveals a disconnect in companies’ approach to risk and compliance. Nearly a quarter of employees believe it’s acceptable to bend rules to achieve results, with younger employees more likely to take this approach. While senior managers often perceive a strong ethical culture, their views may not align with those on the ground. True compliance goes beyond policies and requires open conversations and active engagement across all levels. To avoid costly issues, leaders should foster a culture where ethical behavior is valued and openly discussed, reinforcing a shared commitment to integrity. #compliance #risk #ethics

In today’s ever-evolving business landscape, integrity and transparency must be at the forefront of every organization. The recent accusations against senior managers of receiving millions of euros in kickbacks serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of ethical lapses. This situation reveals critical insights: - **Accountability is Key:** Companies should implement stringent checks and balances to ensure all employees uphold ethical standards. A culture of accountability can deter illegal activities and promote a healthy organizational environment. - **Transparent Governance:** Board members and senior leaders must champion transparency in all business dealings. Establishing clear reporting lines and audit mechanisms can significantly mitigate risks associated with fraudulent practices. - **Ethics in Leadership:** Strong ethical leadership isn't just a value; it's a necessity. Leaders set the tone for organizational behavior. Ensuring that leaders exemplify integrity can cascade down through the entire organization, fostering a culture of honesty and fairness. Going forward, we might see a shift in corporate priorities: 1. **Increased Regulatory Scrutiny:** Governments and regulators are likely to heighten their surveillance on corporate activities. Enhanced regulatory frameworks might be implemented to curb such incidents in the future. 2. **Enhanced Risk Management Practices:** Firms may bolster their risk management protocols, employing advanced analytics and AI to detect and avert unethical actions preemptively. 3. **Cultural Shift Toward Ethical Practices:** Companies will prioritize embedding ethical values into their organizational DNA, ensuring every employee espouses these principles actively and passionately. 4. **Whistleblower Protections:** Strengthening whistleblower policies could empower more employees to report unethical behavior without fear of retaliation, thereby aiding early detection and prevention. Organizations that fail to proactively address these issues may find themselves facing severe reputational and financial repercussions. Conversely, those that prioritize ethical conduct can reap the rewards of trust and loyalty from their stakeholders. In conclusion, maintaining integrity within corporate structures is not only about meeting regulatory requirements but also about cultivating a resilient and trustworthy brand. Let's advocate for a business world where transparency and ethics are the cornerstones of every decision and action. #BusinessEthics #CorporateGovernance #Leadership #RiskManagement #Integrity #Transparency #EthicalLeadership

As a compliance professional with over 25 years of experience, I've seen various methods for assessing corporate integrity. Recently, I've been impressed by the Corethix Integrity Risk Index (IRI), which offers a comprehensive and data-driven approach to this critical issue. Here's how the IRI aligns with key areas of integrity assessment: 1. Corporate Values & Culture: The IRI provides a high-level overview of key configuration elements and employee engagement, offering insights into how well ethics are embedded in an organisation. 2. Leadership & Governance: With executive dashboards, the IRI gives leadership a clear view of the company's integrity performance, supporting better governance. 3. Policies & Practices: The IRI tracks policy attestation rates across various integrity categories, ensuring key practices are understood and followed. 4. Communication & Training: The system includes a video library module, supporting ongoing ethics education. 5. Reporting & Accountability: A “Speak Up/Whistleblowing” feature is integrated into the IRI, facilitating ethical reporting. 6. Measurement & Monitoring: The IRI offers real-time dashboards and trend analysis, allowing for continuous monitoring of ethical performance. 7. External Reputation: By providing tangible evidence of compliance, the IRI helps organisations meet stakeholder expectations and safeguard their reputation. 8. Integrity in Practice: The IRI's suggestions for improvement feature help organisations identify and address gaps between stated values and actual behaviours. The Corethix IRI represents a significant advancement in how we can quantify and improve corporate integrity. It's not just about having policies in place, but about actively managing and improving ethical performance across the organisation. What are your thoughts on using such data-driven approaches to measure and enhance corporate integrity? Let's discuss in the comments or reach out to us! #CorporateIntegrity #BusinessEthics #ComplianceMatters #IntegrityRiskIndex Corethix Cyclopedic Consulting