The Power of Personal Connection: Unlocking Creativity and Collaboration in Compliance Teams
Nicole Rose
Compliance Specialist & Lawyer Designing Custom (ABAC) (AML) and Compliance Program for Global Organisations Who Seek Lasting Behavioral Change | The Frame Training Method™ | Author | Podcast Host
The Preframe
This edition of the Untold Compliance newsletter is all about you. This week we are celebrating own skills and passions and looking at the importance of bringing these into our work lives. Here's the line up:
About this newsletter
This newsletter isn't just another read; it's a whole new way of looking at legal and compliance. By integrating insights from a diverse array of fields—think psychology, neuroscience, economics, physics and beyond—with seasoned legal and compliance expertise, we're crafting a narrative that legal, ethics and compliance in organisations is a catalyst for innovation.
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As you will see from the articles I share, we believe compliance is more than just meeting regulations, mitigating risks and implementing controls—it's a pathway to sustainable growth and competitive advantage.
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Feature Article: The Power of Personal Connection: Unlocking Creativity and Collaboration in Compliance Teams
The Preframe
Whether you work for yourself or others, the demands seem relentless. The constant output required, the endless meetings, and the guilt of never doing enough. This newsletter is about the art of putting ourselves first and reminding others to do the same.
The Principle of Success Hinges on Creativity
Success is ultimately about how successful you feel. You know that success isn't measured by money, workload, or titles, but by how fulfilled we feel.
Fulfilment comes from doing something intrinsic to us. It’s not about Netflix or audiobooks, but about producing something we enjoy. For me, it's creating art. For others, it might be cooking for old friends, playing the guitar, or DJing (shout out to my brother). The quality of what we produce doesn't matter—what matters is that it brings us joy.
This is crucial in our legal and compliance jobs because it makes us human and unique. Being relatable and human is not only beneficial but necessary.
The Case Study That Brought Everyone Together
Here’s a true case study from my work with a large bank's compliance team. We aimed to set priorities and focus areas for the next year through three workshops over two weeks, involving 40 remote-working individuals in various roles.
To unify the team, I assigned a pre-activity before the workshops. Each participant paired up for a 20-minute Zoom meeting to share something they loved doing outside work, and their five-year work-life aspirations. These conversations were recorded and shared with me.
I edited these videos into a five-minute compilation showcasing their passions—cooking, event planning, basketball, yoga, meditation, singing, and more. Then, I shared their work aspirations, which focused on making a difference, developing skills, and achieving work-life balance.
This powerful video wasn't about my editing skills but about their honest and passionate sharing. During the first session, each pair shared what they had learned about their partner. It was incredible to see each person’s passion truly understood and relayed by another.
We spent half of the first session on this exercise, and it was the most invaluable time. Everyone got to know each other in a more human way, which made subsequent workshops phenomenal. Starting with listening, sharing, and retelling built trust and interest in each other. This foundation made collaboration and idea-sharing much more effective.
The Postframe
Feel free to use this concept. It’s simple, effective, and empowering.
In a world of rules, processes, policies, and advisers, our legal and compliance teams and colleagues need to hone their creative sides. When we feel more creative and human, our work will reflect that, bringing us closer to our audience and employee base.
Book extract: How in-house legal and compliance professionals secure airtime, gain traction and transform organizations
Producing content for your training
Preframing content production: My story
Recommended by LinkedIn
“… the world will not be saved by another great novel, great movie, or great business venture. It will only be saved by the appearance of great work.” Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love.
The Power of the Doodle was born in 2020, out of a need to put doodling first in my life. Not to the exclusion of all else, but for the inclusion of all else. Because when I make room for drawing, I produce other content faster and better.
“Doing things imperfectly (just like a doodle), that can end up producing something far better than you could have anticipated (just like a doodle).”
To paraphrase Marianne Williamson’s quote to apply it to our work:
“Our organisations will not be protected by more work. They will be protected by us producing great work. Great work is produced by people who prioritise their own greatness.”
As professionals, we spend so long producing work for others that we can forget our own greatness in the production of our work.
Reports, presentations, slides, more reports, answering queries, doing more, being more, pushing ourselves harder. Drafting, redrafting, and redlining, being redlined. Researching, checking, reading, reviewing, commenting, drafting more agreements.
The work is endless. But within that work is the ‘thing’ that drives us. It’s the ‘thing’ that underlies our abilities. Our attention to detail, our analysis, our ability to present.
That thing is our creativity.
So, I start this chapter with the premise that when we focus on that ‘thing’ that brings us joy creatively, we produce better and more content. We feel less overwhelmed and achieve more.
End of extract
Over to you - your chance to inspire and be inspired through creativity
Why not try this creativity thing for real. Send me a brief video of what you love doing and where you want to be in five years. You could inspire and empower others in our profession. Just send me a DM and I will put together a video capturing all of your passions, hobbies and skills (outside of legal and compliance).
Because together, we are stronger and more creative.
Other articles by Nicole
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The Caveat
The information in this newsletter is not intended to be used as legal advice. I would be happy to provide specific legal or compliance advice if you have any specific questions. Just email me at nicole@untoldcompliance.com.
Alternatively consult with a qualified professional for advice tailored to your specific situation.
Thanks for reading
Nicole Rose
Untold Compliance and co-Founder Zenira Business Intelligence
Co-host of the Eight Mindsets Podcast
p.s.