Lead By Example: Compliance Training With An LMS
A toxic workplace culture often stems from the top. Without proper accountability, leaders can bend rules without modeling ethical behavior for employees. However, current tech tools are transforming compliance training from a box-checking exercise into an opportunity to embed integrity into the DNA of an organization. How can you implement compliance training in a way that embeds ethical values into the DNA of your organization’s leadership?
Setting The Tone From The Top
Leading compliance training completion rates through an LMS platform is about more than just ensuring managers get it done; it’s a way to set the tone from the top down that no one is above policies when it comes to harassment, discrimination, ethics, and other critical topics. Wise organizations recognize the high-leverage role compliance plays in leadership development and use it to exemplify the conduct expected at all levels.
Leaders First In Compliance Training
Requiring leaders and managers to complete mandatory compliance training first sets the tone from the top down that these topics are integral to the company’s culture. Leaders then act as role models for employees by demonstrating that everyone must participate in these development initiatives, no matter their level of seniority.
Monitoring 100% Completion And Compliance
By tracking 100% participation for those at the management level and above, LMS analytics provide the visibility needed to confirm leaders complete training first. This avoids awkward situations where subordinates have to prod bosses to finish required courses. When managers view compliance as integral rather than optional, it promotes a culture of integrity throughout the entire company.
Using the tracking and reporting capabilities of a modern LMS, organizations can easily monitor and confirm 100% compliance from their leadership ranks. This avoids awkward situations of managers needing to complete training that their direct reports have already finished.
Model The Importance Of Compliance For All Levels
The transparency and visibility that an LMS provides are crucial for ensuring accountability at all levels. When leaders view compliance as an integral part of their development rather than an obligation, it has a positive trickle-down effect on the rest of the organization.
Promoting A Culture Of Integrity
Here are some examples of how organizations can use compliance training for leaders to promote a culture of integrity:
- Make values-based training part of onboarding and regular development for managers
Include lessons on ethical decision-making, appropriate conduct, conflicts of interest, etc. - Have leaders complete compliance courses first
This models their importance before rolling them out to employees, and shows it’s not just a checkbox activity. - Use compliance training completion rates/scores as a factor in promotion
Make it a criterion for leadership roles. Stress its importance. - Share compliance training completion statistics regularly
Celebrate 100% participation for managers to spotlight accountability. - Include compliance topics in leadership team meetings
Discuss case studies that are relevant to leaders’ roles and decisions. - Conduct occasional pulse surveys after compliance courses
Gather feedback from leaders on how to strengthen ethical culture. - Develop specialized follow-on compliance courses for leaders
These can go deeper into workplace conduct, conflicts, and ethical dilemmas at senior levels. - Have leaders exemplify values in their team communications
Reference compliance policies and training as reminders. - Remind leaders they represent company values
Their actions/conduct signal appropriate behavior for the organization. - Use LMS messaging
These can provide regular value/policy refreshers to leaders. Quick tips reinforce training. - Make sure top executives visibly participate in and complete compliance training
This is essential to signal its critical importance.
Embedding Compliance In Development
Here are some ways organizations can embed compliance training into broader leadership development programs rather than treating it as a check-the-box exercise:
- Make compliance courses a prerequisite for leadership skill programs on communication, decision-making, etc. Position as foundational.
- Include compliance topics like ethics and harassment within leadership programs. Discuss through the lens of leadership challenges.
- Use compliance course completion rates as a key metric on leadership development program scorecards. Track jointly.
- Incorporate real-world compliance case studies into problem-solving activities in leadership programs. Analyze dilemmas.
- Require reflection/discussion on compliance topics in peer coaching and mentoring activities between managers.
- Include reminders and links to relevant compliance content within leadership training materials where appropriate.
- Use compliance courses as refresher training between larger leadership development programs. Keep top of mind.
- Have program graduates share how they’ve applied compliance training learnings back on the job after leadership programs.
- Make compliance training completion a prerequisite for leadership program graduation and credit. Stress integration.
- Use compliance scenarios in leadership assessment center simulations to evaluate judgment. Test application.
The goal is to seamlessly blend compliance training into the flow of leadership development. When treated as an integrated component rather than an isolated activity, it becomes ingrained in leaders’ mindsets and capabilities.
Walking The Compliance Training Walk
The transparency of an LMS allows organizations to walk the walk when it comes to ingraining corporate values. Executed strategically, compliance training for leaders has a ripple effect that makes an LMS much more than a repository for required modules. It becomes a means of inspiring employees by setting standards from the top.
Compliance training is often viewed as a mundane box-checking exercise for leaders. However, savvy organizations are using modern LMS platforms to transform required compliance courses into high-impact opportunities that exemplify values from the top down. When implemented strategically, leadership compliance training can strengthen ethical culture organization-wide. Here are three key ways to realize this potential:
- Require leaders to complete compliance training first, to set the tone from the top that ethics matter at all levels.
- Use LMS analytics to monitor 100% completion rates for managers. This ensures accountability organization-wide.
- Integrate compliance topics seamlessly into broader leadership development programs, rather than isolating them as a checklist item.
Moving away from just checking a box, an LMS allows organizations to embed compliance and ethics into the very fabric of their leadership training and development programs. It’s a high-leverage opportunity when it comes to instilling corporate values.
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