Governance, Risk & Compliance: GRC
3 Ways Your Code of Conduct Can Secure Stakeholder Buy-In
Crafting a Code of Conduct that effectively balances compliance requirements, company culture, and stakeholder engagement is a complex endeavor. Many companies struggle to create a code that employees can make sense of and feel connected to while also ensuring it addresses industry regulatory requirements.
What’s Next?
To get to the bottom of these types of challenges, SAI360’s recent CustomerConnect webinar featured compliance expert Paula Davis, Founder & Director at Waypoint GRC, and Kathrin Brandstäter, VP Head of Global Compliance & Legal Director at Evotec. Both shared three specific ways to transform a Code of Conduct from a static document into a vibrant, practical tool that drives organizational compliance and employee engagement. Below, we break them down.
Focus on Simplicity and Engagement
An effective code of conduct should be more than just a list of rules. It’s about shifting from a dense, overly legalistic document to a more engaging and accessible code of conduct. The ideal goal? Create a practical guide that employees can easily understand and apply. You can make this goal a reality by structuring the code of conduct around company values. This strategy can help employees understand there is a direct connection between the company’s principles and teams’ various day-to-day actions.
Build Early Buy-In Across the Organization
One critical step? Forming cross-functional project teams to ensure your Code of Conduct reflects the perspectives and needs of different teams. Early engagement facilitates smoother approval processes. And it ensures a code resonates with the entire organization.
Securing buy-in from stakeholders is crucial here. By engaging various departments early in the drafting process, you can better foster a clear sense of ownership across the organization.
Launch Your Code of Conduct as a Dynamic, Interactive Tool
Once your Code of Conduct is created, shift the focus over to rollout and sustainability. Consider, for example, how to make your Code of Conduct more visually engaging and interactive using marketing and internal communication strategies. How can it grab people? Another strategy could be as simple as creating an interactive PDF employees use to easily navigate through a code of conduct. This helps make the experience more user-friendly. You can also consider using more targeted communications across various channels—from town halls to all-staff emails—ensuring that a code of conduct is not just introduced to your teams but is deeply embedded into your company culture. This way it becomes the valued fabric of who you are versus yet another checklist item.
Final Thoughts
A well-crafted code of conduct reflects your company’s authentic values and culture. It’s the bridge between your people and your impact. By focusing on simplicity, engaging stakeholders early, and launching the code as an interactive tool, companies can create a dynamic resource that is lived—not just read and forgotten—by employees.
Let’s Start a Conversation about how to Build the Perfect Code of Conduct for Your Organization
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