Getting into Your Body and Out of Your Compliance Head

The Preframe

Welcome to the latest edition of the Untold Compliance newsletter.

In this edition I delve into a topic that we don’t often talk about in the context of Legal and Compliance – getting out of your head and into your body.

With expectations (of ourselves as much as others), responsibilities, deadlines and a combination of societal, cultural, personal, and organizational factors, it's no wonder that we are stressed and often operating from a place in our head of 'not enough'. Then we have social media (anyone ever heard of LinkedIn?!!!) which highlights achievements of our peers, leading to our heads to indulge in a game of self comparison syndrome - yes it's a 'thing' - look it up!

Then of course there's the workplace environment, with KPIs and competition between departments as well as peers, it's no wonder we think that we need to do more, achieve more and be more.

And don't get me started with perfectionism, fear of failure, imposter syndrome, fear of failure (Atychiphobia) and everything else we have to manage in our heads emotionally. We have a lot of prove and a lot we need to do right?

And of course, economic factors and the need for job security drive us to set high expectations of ourselves.

And it is this feeling of 'not enough' that I dedicate this newsletter to. I share:

1. ?My feature Article: 'Getting into Your Body and Out of Your Compliance Head', I explore why stepping out of our heads (where we are never enough) and engaging our bodies can enhance our legal and compliance performance and effectiveness. Drawing from my own experience in organizing a challenging workshop, I demonstrate how being physical can lead to better focus, performance and connection with others. But it's not just about my experience—I delve into the scientific research and evidence that underscore the importance of incorporating physical activity into our routines.
2. Tips and resources: What to do when our communication is not enough? In 8 Ways to Ensure your Compliance/Legal Training and Comms hit the mark I share why we should never be concerned when our training and comms does not ‘hit the mark’ and what we can do instead.
3. Upcoming Workshop: Details of my latest workshop, "Ethics Exposed: Learning from the Wirecard and Carillion Scandals," inspired by the recent PwC scandal.

Dive in and explore how to navigate our legal and compliance careers whilst keeping our head and our heart firmly in place.

About this newsletter

This newsletter isn't just another read; it's a whole new way of looking at legal and compliance. By integrating insights from a diverse array of fields—think psychology, neuroscience, economics, physics and beyond—with seasoned legal and compliance expertise, we're crafting a narrative that legal, ethics and compliance in organisations is a catalyst for innovation.

If you enjoy this newsletter, subscribe to the Untold Compliance, The Weekly Tell, where I share insights, chapters from my new book, Told: How in-house legal and compliance professionals secure airtime, gain traction and transform organisations, tips and tools to product engaging training and communications and research I conduct within legal and compliance.

Featured article:?Getting into Your Body and Out of Your Compliance Head

This was a massive project sponsored by the leadership team. All eyes were on me.

A few years ago, I was asked to design, produce, and present a 3-day workshop on compliance for a leading bank in Australia. My remit was “make compliance sexy” and do so across every branch in Australia.?

The truth was that I didn’t have much input from the SMEs within each of the compliance teams in the lead-up to the workshop, so I needed to create much of the content from the outside of the organization looking in, rather than the inside. So instead of focusing on case studies relevant to the organization, I built the frame of the training using engaging real-world examples:

• Imagine a world without Compliance
• The Compliance Travellers: Turning typical compliance users into regular commuter types we see on the London Underground/trains generally
• A particular case study on fraud that had universal application
• Ethical dilemmas and more

As I produced my content, (as is usually the way) content appeared from SMEs that I could plug into their specialty topics. But this came very late in the day. By the time I had to present the workshop in a pilot to a tough audience (intentionally chosen) 4 hours from home, I had literally just finished writing the workshop. But I had done absolutely no proper preparation.

This was a massive project sponsored by the leadership team. All eyes were on me.

So that morning, before the pilot, I got out of bed at 5 am and realized I had a decision to make. I could sit down at my desk and prepare, or I could get out of my head and into my body. I chose the latter. Yoga, a gentle run, and a great breakfast later, I felt more prepared than I would have done trying to review the program. Literally 5 minutes before I entered the room in which I would need to speak for 2 days non-stop, I decided upon what I would say in my intro.

That intro ended up being the ‘thing’ that connected me most to the audience, got their participation and engagement, and even their support when inevitably things went slightly wrong.

Over those two days, we laughed together, we worked together, and collaboratively produced what ended up being one of the most successful compliance workshops that the bank had rolled out.

Little did I know until after the pilot that there had been “terrible” training rolled out that had left a bad taste in people’s mouths. This training not only disrupted the narrative that people had about compliance but also led to really positive outcomes and a heap more work for me with a brilliant organization.

But don't just rely on my experience. Let's examine the research which underscores the profound benefits of regular physical engagement on well-being.

The science behind 'getting into our bodies'

Exercise is a powerful tool for boosting mental health, significantly reducing stress levels and alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression. This is thanks to the release of feel-good endorphins and neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, as highlighted by Peter Salmon from the Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool in his article Effects of physical exercise on anxiety, depression, and sensitivity to stress. Furthermore, physical activity enhances brain health by increasing blood flow and promoting the growth of new neurons, leading to better memory, concentration, and overall cognitive function, as demonstrated by Erickson & Hillman in their study Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory.

Engaging in activities that require coordination and mindfulness, such as yoga or dance, can enhance body awareness and emotional regulation, fostering better self-esteem and confidence, as discussed by Professor Wolf Mehling, MD in Body Awareness: a phenomenological inquiry into the common ground of mind-body therapies.

In short, the research supports exactly what we know. Getting into your body is essential for maintaining and enhancing our physical, mental, cognitive and emotional well-being,

Key Takeaways

1. If you don’t have what you need to produce content, use the information that you have and share it for inspiration. ?More content will always follow.
2. Instead of over preparing what you are going to say, over prepare the person you want to be that day. For me, I wanted to be centred, in my body and energetic. The rest will follow.
3. Don’t underestimate the importance of physical activities into your daily work routine. It can be the difference between adequate and exceptional.

8 Ways to Ensure your Compliance/Legal Training and Comms hit the mark

We've all been there. We spend months putting together the session/comms/training and it is received with a luke warm response, if we're lucky. But before frustration and disappointment takes over, consider these tips.

Know that it's normal.

As hard as it is to believe, just because we are excited about a new compliance training or initiative, it doesn't mean others are. We need to understand that it will take a long time to get to our level of enthusiasm. Think about it like a sport you love and followed for years, if someone else hasn't got the background, talent and experience that we have then of course they're not going to be as excited (unless of course you play Pickleball and then converts take just one session).

Make a trailer.

If you know my work, you will know that I talk a lot about the need to preframe any information to that your audience is already familiar with it before you share it and hopefully intrigued.

So, firstly, Imagine you have Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg in your team ready to make you the most penetrating, inspirational, moving trailer that is sure to get people's attention. Of course, they are not part of your budget so you will have to do. But taking the techniques that they use, we can definitely improve how we share our training/communications by the following:

1. Use Engaging Narratives: Craft your communications with a compelling story arc. Start with a problem or challenge and conclude with a resolution or key takeaway.
2. Introduce High-Concept Ideas: Present big, thought-provoking concepts to stimulate your audience's curiosity. Use analogies and real-world examples to make complex ideas more accessible and engaging.
3. Incorporate Realism: Ground your messages in reality by using concrete examples, testimonials, and case studies. This makes your communications more relatable and credible.
4. Utilize Strong Visuals: Enhance your messages with high-quality images, infographics, and videos to grab attention and make complex information easier to understand.
5. Craft Memorable Dialogue: Write your communications in an engaging, conversational tone. Use humour, quotes, and interesting anecdotes to make your messages more memorable and enjoyable.
6. Experiment with Non-Linear Storytelling: Present information in an unconventional order to keep your audience intrigued. Start with a surprising fact or outcome, then explain the background and details. This approach can make your messages more dynamic and captivating.
7. Add Auditory Stimuli: Use sound bites to emphasize key points and maintain interest.
8. Focus on Character Development: Use detailed, relatable characters to help your audience connect with the message on a personal level.

And if you want to learn about how to use these more in practice, register for The Frame Training Method? workshops by clicking the image below.

Upcoming Workshop: Ethics Exposed: Learning from the Wirecard and Carillion Scandals

I am running an intensive ethics session that provides a deep dive into two of the most notorious corporate scandals in recent history. Learn how to identify, prevent, and address unethical practices by examining these real-world cases. CPD points awarded for lawyers and accountants.

Whilst these sessions are predominantly for accountants and auditors, finance officers and anyone in the accounting and finance profession, it's a session that anyone in Legal or Compliance can also benefit from.

What You Will Learn

• Understand the ethical breaches that led to the downfall of Wirecard and Carillion.
• Gain insights into the importance of integrity, objectivity, and professional competence in accounting.
• Develop strategies to identify and prevent unethical practices within your organization.

There is a small fee. Register here.

The Caveat

The information in this newsletter (and the Eight Mindsets Podcast) is not intended to be used as legal advice. I would be happy to provide specific legal or compliance advice if you have any specific questions. Just email me at [email protected].

Alternatively consult with a qualified professional for advice tailored to your specific situation.

Thanks for reading

Nicole Rose

Untold Compliance Co-host of the Eight Mindsets Podcast

p.s.

• If you found this newsletter helpful or insightful, please comment and share to expand the conversation.
• ?? Subscribe to this newsletter.

Other articles by me

If you liked this article, check out:

1. Business and values led compliance with a small c: Is Big C Compliance Weakening Culture Episode 4
2. The Ethics Policy Chronicles: Is Big C Compliance Weakening Culture Episode 3
3. Is Big C Compliance Weakening Culture? The Eight Mindsets Podcast Series
4. The Power of Personal Connection: Unlocking Creativity and Collaboration in Compliance Teams
5. Sex Tapes & University Hurdles: Lessons for Compliance Program
6. Why Legal and Compliance need to tell more and say less
7. Visualizing Compliance: Exploring Vision Boarding for Cultivating a Culture of Ethics and Compliance
8. Dancing with Compliance: How to use Physics to Reframe Compliance
9. Strengthening Ethics and Compliance: Lessons from Resistance Training and the 80-year old Harvard Study on Happiness
10. Challenging the Overconfidence of Compliance
11. Negotiating Compliance: Applying FBI Hostage Tactics to DOJ Corporate Compliance Standards
12. The Institute Insights: Organisations are just a “Mass of Habits”: Insights for Compliance from Sleepwalking Murderers and Compulsive Gamblers
13. How Great Leaders Inspire Action. Compliance lessons from Simon Sinek and an Aboriginal Elder
14. From Compliance to Conversion: Why the DOJ Transformed Leaders and Compliance Professionals into Marketing and Sales Teams