When Someone Asks

What do you say? When someone asks you what you do, what kind of job do you have, how important is your job?

Here’s one answer you can give – if I’d been there when Titanic sailed, my job would have saved every single person on board. My job would have focused on safety, on having enough lifeboats to save every single passenger – every single one.

That’s who I am. That’s who I would have been when Titanic owners decided not to have enough lifeboats to keep every single passenger safe. Being a compliance officer means being sure of doing everything possible to follow the law, to keep everyone safe even if it means going above and beyond the law, even if it means fighting to protect every single person.

How do you feel about your job, the work you do, the responsibility you accept to do the right thing no matter what anyone else says or does or wants? How do you feel about your job, what it means, why you do it and how you do it?

Is doing the right thing easy? Is it fun? Is it popular? Why did you choose this career?

Is doing the right thing important? What happens if you do not do the right thing? What happens if you let it slide? Just this once? What happens?

Is doing the right thing your job? Why?

What exactly is your job? Can you define it? Why or why not?

Is it OK to let rule breaking, lying, cheating, taking bribes, letting things slide, happen “just this once”? Is that OK? Is that why you’re there? Why are you there?

Can you define your job?

Can you list practical, realistic situations your job includes?

Can you explain why your job matters? How can you define what you do and why you do it?

Is there a circumstance where you might need to step back from your own commitments? Is there a chance that could be seriously tempting? Is there a chance you would no longer be able to do your job if you make excuses too often?

Do you have backup? A support group? A team? Do you all encourage one another? Do you help one another keep up morale?

Is there one trusted person you can talk with, open up to, air your grievances with? If you don’t, do you want to?

How do you find strength, stamina, courage to stand firm on keeping your company on the right track, honest, decent, fair?

Where do you find encouragement when things possibly get tough in your work?

Do you have compliance colleagues outside your company who help give you strength? Do you have a network of other compliance professionals who understand what each other does and lives with?

Do you get help, praise and appreciation from the leadership at work, from coworkers, even from the Board of Directors when you’re doing your job and doing it well?

Are you a valued member of the staff, the team; is what you do understood and appreciated by other workers?

Do you get praise, appreciation, rewards for all you do? (From anyone?) Why or why not?

If you need a good word, a word of hope, a bit of praise for a job well done, where do you go? Do you have someone or something to keep you upbeat?

If you need help, where do you go? Who helps you, lifts you up and listens when you need to talk?

Every day. In some way. Encourage your own self. Take time to boost your own morale, then offer a good word to someone else who might need it.

© 2024 K. Leet

What do you think?

Why are you a compliance professional?

Why did you start and what keeps you going?

Why does your work matter?

If you’d been Compliance Officer for the Titanic…?

These are stories (usually fictional, but not always), based on insights and experiences from the world of compliance & ethics.