5 big takeaways from Compliance Week National

Two weeks ago, Jaycee and I attended Compliance Week National, where we had the opportunity to engage with compliance pros from various cities, industries, and places in their careers. While everyone gave us something good to think about, here are the five themes that stood out the most. 

Be curious. 🤔

This recommendation was from Dominic Smith at Kayak in response to a question about what he would tell himself about AI if he could go back in time, but that was also a resonant theme throughout the conference. Whether it’s being curious about new technology, self-introspection, or tried-and-true (even if old school) approaches to building culture—this conference pushed us to think harder and keep pursuing the best version of ourselves as compliance professionals. Why? Because you owe it to yourself, as well as the companies and people you serve.

For example, if you hear someone say “that’s not fair,” don’t judge or brush it off. People are more likely to make unethical decisions when they perceive that their organization has committed an injustice, and in those situations, it pays to be curious. We need to pay attention, dig deeper, and address an issue when it’s raised.

Bill taught us well. | Source: PBS’s Bill Nye the Science Guy via Giphy.com

The aim of curiosity is to make us more empathetic and effective business partners. It leads us to some important questions: What is causing them to act in that way? Is there something we can do differently to bring about new understanding on both sides?

Bring layers. 🧣

Quite literally, because it’s always cold at conferences. 🥶

But more importantly, because layers give you the ability to adapt. The regulatory landscape is so fluid (sometimes rules change within a single day!) that we don’t really have a choice. And, because E&C programs provide guidance for organizations to stay on the right side of risk, it’s important that we’re able to adapt our messages and conversations to address all those frantic reactive moments.

While this quote wasn’t from the conference (it’s actually from this New York Times newsletter), it does sum up the turmoil we’re all dealing with: “But [enforcement pauses] could quickly affect Americans’ lives regardless, as companies stop complying with rules concerning the environment, transportation, food, workplace safety and more without fear of government penalties.” 

As E&C pros, we need to layer our guidance when others in our orgs provide suggestions that take us out of our commitment to culture. This is a “Yes, you can do that; but should you?” moment. As speakers Eric Young and Nick Gallo noted during the session, “Culture Effectiveness and ROI: How to Move the Needle,” ensure you give leaders reasons why compliance is essential, not expendable.

Be entrepreneurial. 💼

In the session “Compliance in the Modern Age of AI,” Matt Galvin encouraged us to rethink compliance models to fit within an agile workforce. Because enforcement is truncated, now’s the time to try new things. Let’s be clear: We don’t mean that you’re saying, “Bribery is ok now.” It’s still not and that’s still the law. Rather, now’s the time to try new ways to mitigate bribery risk and test creative options for monitoring and auditing for it.

During that same session, Eddie Kim provided an important number to keep in mind: “The ‘pilot to production’ failure rate [for new product development] is 80%.” This stat means, more often than not, your plan won’t succeed. But does that mean you shouldn’t do it? No. It means that you need to be prepared to iterate, try, fail, assess, and do it all again (a classic Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle). If you’re not willing to do that, then you’re not ready to improve.

Source: Apple TV’s Ted Lasso via Giphy.com

AI is a prime example of when the aforementioned layering can come in handy by applying a  “Can we/Should we” assessment framework. Your culture will guide you to know when to stop (aka fail), reset, and try again.

Explore. 🗺️

This one’s for the folks who attended IRL… If you stayed at The Mayflower Hotel, did you notice the subtle yet amazing theming on each floor? If you didn’t, that’s cool. Being honest, I didn’t either initially. But then I got on an elevator that stopped at every floor before mine and noticed something interesting: The interior artists for the hotel themed each floor to the decade it referenced (e.g., the fifth floor theme was “nifty fifties,” fourth was “fabulous forties,” etc.) Here’s a pictorial tour. ⬇️ 

You may notice that one decade is missing. Apparently the 70’s have been canceled in favor of Marriott Vacation Club. 

So, what does this have to do with compliance? It’s a nuanced part of your job, but I’d encourage you to embrace wanderlust, even if it’s just around your worksites. You never know what you might discover. All you need to do is keep your eyes open and—once again—be curious. Remember, your goal isn’t just to uncover the bad stuff (even if it sometimes feels that way or that you only have time to deal with those things). It’s also to learn all you can about the environment you work in. By exploring around, keeping your eyes and curiosity open, and taking a bit of time to dig deeper, you might find some amazing treasures that most of the folks around you probably have overlooked.

Be present and caring. 💜 

Another theme that carried throughout the conference can be summed up as “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” It’s no secret that building relationships matters when you’re trying to change minds, influence behavior, and be viewed as a strategic partner. No matter how lifelike your new AI avatar is, nothing beats being there for your senior leaders in the toughest of times and helping them determine what the right decision is for the company. 

Mary Inman from Whistleblowers Partners also reminded us in two different sessions that it’s Compliance’s responsibility not only to encourage speaking up but also to protect those who speak up even when the message is painful to hear. A retaliation policy is not enough, nor is investigating every report of retaliation. You need education and monitoring at a minimum, too. 

While we heard a few horror stories, it was equally as heartening when a fellow attendee shared that they offered paid leave to a whistleblower who was having a difficult time.

What about you? 👋

Were you at the conference? I’d love to hear what you thought about it! And what your favorite floor at the hotel was. Let’s chat!