How Conferences Helped Me To Answer Three Critical Career Questions

“I don’t have time this year to attend a conference.  I’m too busy with work!”  It’s easy to tell ourselves that we can’t get to a conference this time.  After all, there’s the travel to the conference, the cost, time awaiting reimbursement and the never-ending ding of the mobile device letting you know that while you’re in sessions, people at your organization still need you to be doing your compliance work.  But while it may seem easy to skip conference attendance, you shouldn’t.  Going to conferences helped (and continues to help) me to answer three critical career-defining questions.

Question 1: What do I do if I’m downsized or ready for a promotion?

About a month ago I got a call from a former colleague of mine.  After 15 years in the same blue-chip company, the compliance function had been moved to an office in another state, and he wasn’t invited to go.  He was devastated.  He’d seen an ad for a job he was interested in, and he noted that I was connected to the hiring manager via LinkedIn.  Could I offer an introduction?  You bet I could.

The reason I could help him was because I’d met the hiring manager at a conference three years earlier.  We’d kept in touch and I was able to put them in contact and send his resume along.  Guess what?  He got the job.  There is truth to the adage that you must create your network BEFORE you need it.  The best jobs are almost always filled by people who come with a recommendation from a trusted source.  By attending conferences you build your network now, before you need it. 

If you find yourself downsized or your company goes out of business, there’s nothing like a vibrant network to help you find your next role.  Alternatively, if you’ve outgrown your current job, your network can be your eyes and ears to get you that promotion you so richly deserve.

Question 2: How am I supposed to know what best practices are and what other companies are doing?

“Well, what are other companies doing?”  This vexing question is asked a hundred times a day throughout the world when compliance officers meet with management to discuss new laws.  Whether it’s the new European General Data Protection Regulation or the UK Modern Slavery Act, people at your company not only expect you to know the law- they also expect you to know what to do about complying with it.  Conferences are fantastic places to learn what other companies are doing with the same challenges you’re facing. 

We’re lucky in compliance in that we’re able to share our work strategies with each other without fear of antitrust violations.  The ability to take advantage of other people and company’s knowledge is one of the best things about conference attendance.

Question 3: Why is she having such a good time?

When I left legal private practice to go in-house, my boss sent me to the European SCCE Compliance and Ethics Institute.  I was miserable.  I didn’t know anyone and I felt lonely and uncomfortable standing by myself.  However, by the afternoon of the first day I’d introduced myself to one of the speakers, and she and I struck up a conversation.  That conversation turned into a friendship, and she invited me to talk to some of her other friends in the industry. 

This year I’m performing the Keynote at the Health Care Compliance Institute and the European Compliance and Ethics Institute in Maryland, as well as performing break-out sessions at the SCCE conference in Las Vegas this fall.  I’ll also be speaking at the Women in Compliance Conference in London in March.  I’m genuinely looking forward to it, because I have friends that I only get to see at the conferences.  By working through my discomfort at the first conference, I built relationships that make it so I’m thrilled to be going to the conference this year. 

So what do you say, shall we meet up this year?  National City, London, Prague or Vegas?  All four?  Fantastic.  I can’t wait to see you there. 

Wildly Effective Compliance Officer Tip of the Week - 44

There’s a quote I love from Sun Tzu quote I love that says, “Every battle is won before it is fought.”  Keeping this in mind, you must consider strategy as it relates to your program.  Choose areas of focus and give yourself specific deliverables with timelines.  Although you may have to take time to fight fires, when you’re not fighting fires you can focus on one or two areas where you can have the most impact.  This will make you highly effective.

Join Me At The Women in Compliance Conference, March 29-30 in London

The third annual Women in Compliance Conference is taking place March 29 and 30 at the Radisson Blu in London’s beautiful Marylebone neighborhood.  Join me and eminent thought leaders from companies like the HSBC, Royal Mail, Tesco, Travelport and others while we talk about the things that matter to women in business and women building careers in compliance.

I’m speaking on using top sales techniques to sell compliance to your internal audience.  Trust me, you don’t want to miss this.  There will be glitter. 

The annual conference culminates with the Women in Compliance Awards.  Click here for more information and registration: https://www.c5-online.com/women-compliance-conference/

Thank You for Your Responses to the Survey!

Thank you so much for the overwhelming response to our survey asking for your top two questions regarding strategy and planning for your compliance program.  We couldn’t be more thrilled to be nearing completion and publishing of the Wildly STRATEGIC Compliance Officer Workbook. 

If you haven’t filled out the survey, it takes only a couple of minutes and is available at the bottom of the page here: https://www.compliancekristy.com/wildly-strategic. 

Thank you again!  

Wildly Effective Compliance Officer Tip of the Week - 43

If you become embroiled in a heated conversation or someone is beginning to argue with you, take time to breath before you respond.  You may also try imagining yourself outside of your body watching this interaction in order to separate yourself from it.  The more you can pull yourself out of your emotional response and back to your logical self, the more likely you are to stop the confrontation and to pull the conversation back to a place where progress can be made. 

Wildly Effective Compliance Officer Tip of the Week - 42

When you’re asked something and you don’t know the answer, don’t be afraid to say, “I’ll find out and get right back to you.”  Many times we feel like we’re supposed to have all of the answers.  Especially if we’re lawyers, we feel that we need to know everything or pretend that we do when we don’t.  People respect a person who tells the truth when he or she says, “I’m not sure, but I’ll find out.”  You’ll solve the problem and buy yourself time to think about it before you commit to a decision.

Wildly Effective Compliance Officer Tip of the Week - 41

When you have meetings or scheduled phone calls, try to always have a written agenda.  Written agendas do several things.  Number one- they keep people on track so the meeting keeps moving.  Number two – they ensure everyone comes prepared to talk about whatever the issues of the day are because they know they will be discussed.  And lastly, writing an agenda ensures that you remember to talk about everything that is important to you to communicate.  Agendas don’t take a lot of time, but meetings without agendas can take an eternity.