Almost every industry deals with compliance, regulations, and important safety and legal guidelines; and almost every company, at one time or another, will need to have a response to a potential breach of those guidelines. As Murphy’s law puts it, ‘anything which can go wrong… will.’
That said, establishing a great self-policing environment can help minimize the negative effects of these problems when and where they do eventually crop up! Timely response is often key, and relying on all the hands within an organization to spot issues can help guarantee that potential issues are nipped in the bud with minimal damage done. With that in mind, we’ve highlighted 5 fantastic hallmarks to help benchmark your progress in growing a self-policing environment.
Transparency – Both internal and external transparency is the key element for growing a self-policing environment. Peers in organizational groups should have a baseline awareness of the work of others, and there should be clear, consistent channels of communication.
Accountability – Especially as organizations grow, establishing chains of accountability are crucial in allowing all employees to understand what they are responsible for… and what they are not. Having clear and well-communicate accountability allows all organizational members to understand when responsibilities are not being met.
Training – In most organizations, regulations training happens only when an individual is a new hire. To encourage a self-policing atmosphere, use regular training to encourage employees to apply regulatory concepts.
Consequences – You should make consequences for all outcomes very clear to all employees. Build in rewards and protections for whistle-blowers to ensure that individuals feel safe coming forward to mention issues, and make certain that there are clear consequences for failing to meet standards.
Enforcement – Of course, espousing consequences means nothing if they are not enforced, and especially in intimate team-based atmospheres, it is often tempting for managers to demonstrate preferential treatment. The last great hallmark of a self-policing environment is clear and consistent enforcement.
If you’d like to learn more about facilitating a self-policing environment in your organization, don’t hesitate to contact us today!