As the regulatory environment evolves with new priorities, policies, and oversight, and technology reshapes the financial landscape, organizations must adapt to these changes and simultaneously consider the diversity of their team and clients. Managing risk can feel overwhelming, but compliance shouldn’t feel like a punishment. It’s time to focus on compliance without the cringe!
Organizations that embrace the purpose and spirit of the law can seamlessly weave compliance into daily operations and workflows, empowering employees to champion consumer protections. By fostering clear communication, advocating for continuous education, and utilizing supportive leadership, organizations can help build proactive compliance management systems that energize rather than exhaust their teams. Developing these three components can transform “cringy” compliance into a source of collaboration, confidence, and pride.
Clear Communication
An effective compliance professional can take the cringe out of compliance by making regulations relatable, and maybe even a little fun. Strong compliance management programs work best when everyone is on the same page. These best practices can make communication more effective:
- Keep it Simple
- Avoid putting the listener to sleep with technical jargon. Use clear, straightforward language that everyone can understand.
- Personalize the Message
- Understand the roles, responsibilities, and challenges of the listener. Tailor your messages to address individual needs and concerns. Show empathy and acknowledge the challenges and pressures that different lines of business may face.
- Tell the Story
- Sharing real-life examples, consent orders, or case studies can illustrate the importance of compliance. Stories make compliance concepts more relatable and relevant.
When rules and regulations are explained in a way that actually makes sense, people are more likely to “get it” and do the right thing. Reinforce that compliance protects clients and reputation, and builds trust in an organization. In addition, compliance is an important component of risk management. When people understand the “why” behind the rules, they are more likely to care, and that helps build a culture where doing the right thing is inherently part of the company.
Continuous Education
Promoting continuous education and cross-training can help an organization navigate regulatory changes and technological advancements with ease. Compliance training should be seen as more than just a checkbox exercise.
Consider these best practices to tailor your approach and help meet the needs of your team members:
- Set Training Needs
- Gauge the specific needs of your organization. What products and services are offered? Does the size of the entity introduce additional compliance requirements? Identify the most relevant regulatory topics based on your organization’s unique characteristics.
- Apply Blended Learning
- Combine various training methods to create flexible and effective compliance training. Ditch the one-size-fits-all approach and tailor the training to your audience to boost engagement. Design a curriculum that includes in-person sessions, e-learning, virtual classrooms, and frequently asked compliance questions to provide tailored and relevant education.
Well-informed employees may be adaptable and able to grasp requirements to effectively utilize compliance strategies. A proactive approach not only helps to reduce potential regulatory violations, but it also can uncover operational inefficiencies.
Supportive Leadership
Organizations will be evaluated on their board, management oversight, and commitment during examinations using the Uniform Interagency Consumer Compliance Rating System. Therefore, it is important to create a culture of compliance with supportive leadership that empowers teams to thrive without falling into cringy practices. Leadership can help foster these behaviors by:
- Leading by Example
- Supportive leadership will make commitments to compliance visible. This can be seen through well-documented policies and procedures, actively participating in compliance training, and openly discussing the importance of compliance.
- Promoting Open Communication
- Leaders should work to create an environment where team members are aware of their responsibilities, understand the impacts of noncompliance, and can discuss compliance issues without fear of retaliation.
- Actively seek feedback from teams on compliance processes and demonstrate that leadership values these improvement efforts.
Compliance isn’t just about ticking boxes off a checklist—it entails building a program that can withstand regulatory scrutiny. Strong compliance management programs keep organizations running smoothly and help avoid awkward conversations during audits and examinations. By focusing on clear communication, continuous education, and supportive leadership, you can make compliance more effective and engaging without the cringe.
For more information on compliance risk management, reach out to a professional at Forvis Mazars.
If you are interested in learning more about building a successful compliance risk management program, be sure to join us at our Compliance Officer Boot Camp 2.0. We are offering a remote session from June 3–5, 2025 and an in-person session in Atlanta, Georgia from August 12–14, 2025.