Lisa Beth (lisabeth@lumen-we.com) is the CEO of Lumen Worldwide Endeavors in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Stef Tschida (stef@tschidacommunications.com)is the owner of Tschida Communications in Hopkins, Minnesota, USA.
Communication is an art form more than a science. But much like science, there are certain rules of the road that are critical to landing your message. To be master communicators, compliance professionals must take cues from communication leaders to effectively convey their messages. Here are a few ways to be your own master communicator, advancing your own career and the compliance profession in the process.
Be intentional about how you communicate
Communications is about more than just saying something. To ensure your communications have the maximum impact, you need to understand your audience. The most effective PR you can do for your function is to understand the business you are in and each function/business area’s goals within it. Then, think about how you are connecting with every part of the business on a regular basis to understand their unique challenges and opportunities pertaining to compliance. Think about how compliance can help them meet their goals and offer your services up when they need them. Make it more about them, and less about the compliance function and its own agenda or desires for communicating.
Good example: Sending a reminder about your company’s gift policy before the holidays when people need guidance about sending and receiving corporate gifts. Bad example: Communicating about the importance of compliance without a clear timing hook or business reason.
It is also important to track the time you spend managing these relationships and uncovering these opportunities. Track it in a way that makes the most sense to you, then dedicate time every week to keeping those records updated, scheduling any meetings to stay in touch with your contacts, and quickly handling any follow-up from those meetings.
Finally, be intentional about ensuring your content is approachable for those who do not speak the language of compliance. Avoid acronyms and legal jargon. If your grandmother or a teenager couldn’t easily read your communication and understand what you are trying to say, it is not ready to be communicated to your company’s employees.
