As compliance officers, we are placed in a position to influence the actions of others on a daily basis. In part, these efforts help shape our organization’s culture of compliance. Unfortunately, the words “compliance officer” can summon up negative imagery in the minds of our workforce members. One way to help change that perception is to avoid creating “gotcha” moments when working on compliance-related matters.

I define gotcha as a communication strategy focused on catching employees doing something wrong. So, what does this look like in the context of compliance work? The following is an example.