JM - Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics

EnablingROY SNELLWe are a society ofenablers. We tell peoplewho have bad habitsthat they have a disease. As parents, we say: "Boys willbe boys" or "girls will be girls!" Sometimes we pay thousandsof dollars to have outsiders come in and tell uswhat we want to hear. We hire people who tell us thatthe regulations are unfair, too complicated, and that theregulators don't know what they are doing. Pointing outthe shortcomings of others gives us comfort. Enablinghelps ensure that we don't change, which, of course, isOK in most cases, but potentially disastrous in others.differently. I look at it as anembarrassing and tough conversationthat could result in ideas. Ilook at it as an opportunity tochange and look good in front ofall the people expecting me to perform.I look at it as an opportunityfor improvement. When theimprovement is implemented, I shamelessly take fullcredit for it. Despite the fact that it was not my idea, Itake credit for it because I endured the criticism. I overcamethe temptation to tell them, "I am in charge here.You are not. Get lost!" That is worthy of some credit.Compliance doesn't tell people what they want to hear.We tell people what they need to hear. We opt for shortterm pain over long term pain. We step up. We makean effort to eliminate conflicts of interest. We hire peopleto tell us what we need to hear, not what we want tohear. This is a much tougher road.The problem is that enabling is not helpful. Enablingdoes not encourage action. Enabling does not encouragestepping up to painful and unpopular decisions. Weshould embrace our bad habits/problems and deal withthem. We should not hire people to tell us we are OKwhen we are not. It's delaying the inevitable. Is it possiblethat the compliance/ethics profession would not behere today if it were not for enabling? If people wouldfind and fix their problems, would we need a departmentthat ensures that they do?I struggle with this, like anyone else, but I am winningthe battle slowly. After 50 years of criticizing criticizers, Iam beginning to embrace some of it. When peoplepoint out mistakes or missed opportunity, I try to view itCompliance and ethics programs are becoming commonplacein business because there was a feeling that somethingwas missing. What was missing? What was missingwas someone whose sole purpose was to stop theenabling and address the issues. Someone who wouldaddress the issues regardless of the potential negativeimpact on their career. What was missing was someonein the organization who was free of conflicts of interest;someone who had no responsibility other than to get itright; someone who would respond to a complaint withoutbias. That is the heart and soul of the complianceprofession. ■SCCE’SSCCE exists to champion ethicalpractice and compliance standardsMISSION in the corporate community andto provide the necessary resources for compliance professionalsand others who share these principles.February 20052SCCE • 5780 LINCOLN DRIVE, SUITE 120 • MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55436Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics • (888) 277-4977 • www.corporatecompliance.org