Leadership and Career

This isn’t a story about business, third-party risk management, the DOJ or any of the other topics we normally cover on these pages. It’s a story about football, pain and failing upwards. I wasn’t always an Indianapolis Colts fan; I came into the world when the team was still in Baltimore. The month I was born, Jim Irsay turned 20....

Too few organizations are embracing compliance culture, according to a survey by FTI Consulting and Ethico, which found that while executive pressure to show compliance programs’ value is increasing, their resources — financial and otherwise — aren’t. The findings reveal the extent of dysfunction within organizations when it comes to the importance of compliance and ethics programs, said Angie Gorman,...

One would need a crystal ball or working time machine to predict for certain whether the U.S. and global economies will enter a recession this year. But, as a handful of compliance, risk and governance experts told us, it doesn’t take a psychic reading to know compliance professionals are likely to be well-insulated in any event. There’s far from consensus...

It’s easy to rely on metrics like “completed trainings” to chart the effectiveness of your compliance program. Compliance expert Courtney Sander reality checks the underlying stats you’re (probably) using to prove the value of your program. Every compliance program should achieve these three goals: align the business with rules, regulations and laws; prevent misconduct; and detect misconduct. And as well-intentioned...

Even when everything’s going well, work stress can often seep into office communications in negative ways. As more and more business is done remotely, it’s time to evaluate the gratitude level in your email habits. If you’ve been feeling extra-stressed lately, you’re not alone. According to a 2022 poll by the American Psychological Association (APA), Americans are more stressed than...

A Gallup survey last year found that among employees who had received training on ethics and compliance, fewer than one in four rated the session as excellent. If you’ve seen the worst of the worst when it comes to compliance training, it’s not hard to see why. Ethics and compliance consultant Calvin London has a modest proposal: It’s time to...

When we speak of non-retaliation, it’s often in an effort to encourage staff to speak up. Right now, lack of speaking up isn’t the problem. Retaliation itself, rather than employee silence, is running rampant, harming our cultures of integrity. Mary Shirley discusses some of the data around the culture-of-integrity crisis and provides a guide detailing an actionable way to address...

Strong compliance programs don’t just happen. They require planning — and budgeting. Being thoughtful and proactive will help drive appropriate budgeting that supports and promotes program effectiveness, while reducing your stress both now and throughout the next fiscal year. ’Tis the season of budget management. Every year, around the time fall beverages show up at your local barista, budgeting blues...

Are we conditioning our employees not to speak up? The traits present in our best employees might make them less likely to raise issues, concerns and ideas. Compliance expert Courtney Sander explores integrating speaking-up practice within the business to benefit your compliance program and the broader organization. What makes good employees great can hurt a speak-up culture. I started down...

When we think of the term "career advice," we usually consider it from the job seeker's perspective. But career advice isn't just for those seeking a new role; it also applies to those in a position to help. For her column this month, Mary Shirley talks about how you can help others get a leg up and offers do's and...

Amicus curiae briefs play a significant role in appeals throughout the country. From state appellate courts to the U.S. Supreme Court, judges increasingly rely on the perspectives of amici to inform their opinions. According to the American Bar Association, over a third of U.S. Supreme Court opinions are directly influenced by amici, and the same is true for a large...

It’s the only resource none of us can ever replenish: Time. So why is it now a revolutionary act to say that you’ll spend exactly as much time at work as your boss is willing to pay you for? Quiet quitting is a resoundingly stupid name for simply doing your job. I was paid to write this. I have an...