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Show notes: Personal Care During Compliance
Quick Take
On this week’s episode of Compliance Unfiltered, the CU guys take a step back and ponder the importance of self-care, as part of your personal approach to compliance. Adam dives into the common reasons why people get stressed out about compliance management.
- How can compliance pros set themselves up to thrive serenely?
- Feeling at your wits end?
- Stressed during your end of year compliance push?
No worries, the CU guys have got just what you need, on this episode of Compliance Unfiltered.
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Read Transcript
So let’s face it, managing compliance sucks. It’s complicated, it’s so hard to keep organized, and it requires a ton of expertise in order to survive the entire process. Welcome to Compliance Unfiltered, a podcast dedicated to making compliance suck less.
Now, here’s your host, Todd Coshow, with Adam Goslin.
Well, welcome in to another edition of Compliance Unfiltered. I’m Todd Coshow, alongside a man who will lead you through your compliance self-care journey today, Adam Goslin. Adam, how the heck are you? I’m doing awesome today. Great to hear it. It’s hard to beat awesome, but we’re going to do our best. Today, we’re going to take a look at the more personal side of compliance, and talk specifically about personal care during compliance in general.
Now, why do people get stressed out about compliance management? I mean, obviously, other than the obvious reasons, like, really, where does the stress come from, from a compliance standpoint? Well, I mean, anybody that’s gone through it knows that the annual compliance cycle is definitively a stressful event. There’s a ton of things that have to get done in short order. It’s high pressure. You’ve got competing demands on everybody’s time. For many organizations, the annual compliance push type of thing, it’s typically viewed as an add-on to whatever their day job is. There’s long hours. people get moody, short tempers. People are already tired and worn out before they even start into the annual compliance assessment, whipping that on top of the day by day responsibilities.
You’re not only trying to do more with less, but, you’re starting out, operating from a deficit over time. That stress negatively impacts quality of work, mental, physical health, relationships. People that are under stress will often develop unhealthy coping behaviors, that further impact their quality of life, which then of course creates more stress. It’s like a downward spiral, if you will. So, compliance management is always going to be stressful. But I think, you need to try to keep the pressure to a, we’ll call it a manageable level as you’re going through the process.
Now, how should one kick off the path to serenity? Well, certainly planning plays into the mix. The thing that’s gonna do the most good, and really the biggest crux of why there’s problems, issues, etc, on engagements is lack of planning. If you think about it, for the typical organization. The typical organization has these kind of quarterly goals, annual goals, at the department level, the company level, etc. And when you get into the midst of your compliance engagement, you know, you’ve been charged with, you know, navigating the world of compliance for the organization. And, you know, now you’re competing, in effect, competing with the other goals of the company, and the things that these people have been tasked with. So, you know, it’s kind of tough, the planning ahead portion ,as it relates to compliance, and as it relates where those goals fit. Doing the upfront work ahead of time, coordinating with the leadership of the organization, to anticipate how much time am I gonna need from whom? when am I gonna need it? Things along those lines that way, you’re not in a position where, the compliance efforts need to draw these people away from their day jobs, and their existing tasks, you don’t want to be in that position. So, if you can plan ahead, so you know, well, in calendar Q3 is when we’re really going to hit the thick of it. Maybe the latter part of Q2, all of Q3 and the first little bit of Q4, is when the compliance fits going to hit the shan. So, if you know that upfront, then, work with leadership to make a hole in the schedule ,that will account for the various needs, that the organization has on those same individuals. Maybe the things that you would otherwise earmarked for, Q2 could be done earlier in Q2, don’t play the procrastination game, clear the field for Q3 type of thing, only put a couple of those out there, and then plan for the latter part of Q4. But, that way, you dropped a hole into these people’s schedule. Not only can the organization successfully manage to head down the road of achieving the compliance that they desire, but also make it a less stressful event for the internal personnel.
Well, I take it that sleep probably plays a role in this too? Yeah, it’s funny, right? When you are really getting pressure, it’s really a losing battle, you short change your sleep when you’re under the gun to produce the results. Good sleep habits will indeed help to reduce stress. The problem is, that stress makes it harder to sleep. A couple of tips and tricks is get a routine, keep with it. Go to bed and wake up same time each day. Look at your personal sleeping environment, and make sure that you’re facilitating and making it easier to sleep, adjusting things like light, sound, temperature. A big one, try not to use electronic devices in your in your bedroom. Don’t get stuck on your phone, getting your brain going. A lot of people will say to turn off those electronics about 15 to 30 minutes before you’re ready to crash. That way, you’ve got that separation and your brain’s more ready to head that route.
Not eating big meals right before bedtime. Some of us, not me included, that are impacted by caffeine late in the day. I drink coffee until I go to bed. But I think I’m unusual in that regard, avoiding caffeine later in the day, especially in the evening, it’ll make a huge difference for some folks that haven’t really thought about it. Pay attention to caffeine intake, also looking at what you’re drinking, a lot of times people are not, immediately cognizant of the fact, yes, I’m drinking tea in the late afternoon, but it happens to be caffeinated not decaf, iced tea, things along those lines, So, just take a look at it, and make sure that you’re, getting that caffeine addressed.
Now, what are the other things that folks can do here to really take care of themselves, throughout this process that is ultimately going to be stressful no matter what? Well, you know, certainly taking some mental breaks, not just at work, but in your personal life, it’s it doesn’t do any good to just, go gangbusters from morning to night, crash, wake up and, boom, you’re right back into it again. And, you know, you’ve got to give your brain a break. You know, both during the day and, in addition to us talking about getting a good night’s sleep, you’ve got to step away from it for a minute, every now and then. It’s tough when all you’re doing is go, go, go, go, go. The other thing for folks that are going through this process, incorporate some time for yourself as you’re going through that compliance push. During the week, set some cutoff times to stop working, go get dinner with the family or, go visit some relatives. Take the time to, play with kids, spend time with your significant other, play with your dog, go for a walk. Whatever it is, get some mental distance from the compliance arena. A lot of times, I found that if you take that opportunity to step away, it actually gives you number one, it gives you a moment to get a break, but number two, you typically come back and you’re coming back with a greater level of clarity, even if you need to put time in over the weekend, which I can just see the listeners chuckling, the ones that have been through this gauntlet before, when the weekend work comes. Set limits. You ,can’t just work from ,oh my gosh I’ve got these two free days with no meetings and blah I’m gonna work from four in the morning until midnight type of thing. It’s easy to go that route, but you’ve got to limit those working hours, do what you need to do. But not working a full sixth and seventh day out of a week. For a portion of that day maintain, some measure of balance, especially if you have a family. It’s astronomically tough on those around you when someone that they you know, is going through a compliance engagement. It’s often those people around you, the people around that person, are the ones that end up paying the price So, just make sure that you’re taking time for yourself, taking your time for them.
True. Now, you know, I’m big into this. So I want to ask you here. What about like exercising and proper diet? Well for sure exercise will help you with relieving stress, so it’s important to stay active during those periods of stress. Make sure you’re getting some form of physical activity. For different people, it’s different things, I suppose it depends on where you’re at, and what time of the year it is. As I’m looking outside and there’s snow on the ground, but you know, the bottom line is, is that you , go for a hike, go for a walk, go to the park, go to the gym, take walk around your neighborhood, go on the exercise bike lift weights. Whatever it may be. Yeah, but there’s other fun things that you can do as well, go play some paintball, go bowling, go to the golf range and you know Just go, and you know, take your stress out on some golf balls. Whatever you want to go do, go for a swim, etc. But, just do something . It’s tough, especially in the IT and security compliance arena, there’s a lot of sitting at a desk. You’ve got to get out of that desk, get yourself moving around You know. In the same sense, eating. It’s not any good to either stress binge, or stress starve yourself. Everybody reacts differently to forms of stress. There’s some people that decide to binge on you know, soft drinks and potato chips. Well, other people are so freaked out that they’re hardly eating and not getting good food into their body. So, certainly making sure that you’ve got good food going in at least three times a day, you know, it gives you energy. I think I’ve talked about this before, just how tough it is, especially when you’re going through the onsite. where it’s like an all and all day of you brain, going, and, going, and going. It’s astounding, how much brain activity just wears your body down ,and how much it helps to get good nutrients into you, so that you can execute on those tasks, and keep your brain about you as you’re going through the process.
Yeah, I definitely appreciate that. I’ll also bet a good dose of zen-like patience goes a long way as well, huh? For sure. You know, the one thing that people will lose sight of, and it’s so easy, it’s like, I don’t know, I almost relate, some people are going to get this, but I almost relate the experience of going through the compliance cycle like road rage, where people just lose their damn mind. They’re stressed out, and they got all this stuff to do, I’ve got eight bosses, Bob, and they’re all yelling at me to go ahead and get me, blah, blah, blah, you know, etc. And, they just, they’re feeling it. But, just remember, everybody’s going through this together. It’s not just you, but those around you are in the same boat. So, just keep in mind that your team members, experience those same challenges, competing responsibilities, high stress levels, etc. It’s important to be mindful. Walk through that process with a fair dose of patience and understanding. Certainly, the one thing that I really don’t like seeing is, when people have gotten to that point they’re at their wits end, you see, people bubbling over, if you will. I always want to just get everything calm, they should, step back, let’s take a breath etc. The last thing that you want is your stress about your compliance engagement, having some long term impact on how people view you, your relationship with certain people or departments within the organization. It’s really, really tough. To be mindful of those elements as you go through it, but you have to be mindful of those things as you go through these engagements, otherwise, you will end up with long-term implications.
Now, what about your team? I didn’t know it was going to be that difficult to answer. But, God, I decided to be an idiot and try to get a quick sip of something. I didn’t realize you were going to be that short and then, of course, I went down the wrong pipe. So, I’m going to apologize in advance for all of the and sundry coughing that may happen, but I’ll try to work my way through it. No worries. So, we were talking about your team. When you’re stressed out, it’s really easy to focus on yourself, focus inward. But as a Compliance Manager, part of your role is to watch out for your compliance team, making sure that you’re checking in with them on a regular basis, keeping open communication, watching for those signs, I talked about it a minute ago. But watching for the signs that an individual needs either some extra encouragement, some extra information, or need to step away from things for a minute.
I’ve been on so many engagements, here’s a good example. I had one gentleman, who I kept saying, hey, I need fill in the blank, and then I’d wait, I’d wait, I’d wait, I’d see no movement and I’d remind him that, hey, I need fill in the blank, you know, type of thing. It was a whole series of requirements across logging. And, finally, I just, set up 30 minutes with him, we sat down and he started articulating that he was concerned that he didn’t know exactly what he needed to produce, for fill in the blank, etc, and that his boss was going to be unhappy with what he’d done. I’m like, I said, okay, cool. I got it. No problem at all. Let’s sit down. Let’s go through these things one by one. You know, kind of run you through, here’s what you need, here’s what you need to go grab, here’s how you optimize your evidence. We got through that 30 minutes. And, it was kind of funny because he literally says, oh, I was so stressed out about that. And, you know, thank you so much. I really appreciate you walking everything through, everything’s really clear to me now. Yeah. I’m, I’m good. I’m off. I’m running. I really appreciate it. And it actually, not only did it help to keep things moving, but It also made him feel better, made him less stressed, etc. So different people, they react differently, and they may internalize, they may appear to not care. But in many cases, it’s not that they don’t care. There’s something else there. So, just that communication with the team is huge, because you don’t want people burning out. So, some other options, too, for the team, outside of keeping your eyeball on them, and making sure that they’re okay, they have what they need, etc. But take opportunities to do it. This doesn’t have to be you know, hey, we’re gonna go rent a PJ, and we’re gonna you know Go fly to Vegas. But it doesn’t have to be that crazy. Get the upfront approval for management to do a couple of nice things for the team, as they’re going through this process. Whatever, bail from work and go bowling or , go grab a drink somewhere, or you know, maybe you order in a lunch for the team. Hey, we’re not gonna talk about work, we’re gonna sit and catch up on how everybody’s doing, and what’s going on in their lives, etc Bringing in breakfast one morning, we’re bringing a bag of bagels. Whatever, hand out goofy awards to people. You’ve got all sorts of options here, but you know, they don’t have to break the bank, they don’t have to be extravagant. But again, it helps with giving the team a bit of a break from, the go ,go, go.
Certainly, we’ve talked extensively around the compliance party at the end of the annual engagement, but it’s important to recognize just what everybody’s been through, how much you appreciate the efforts as you’re going through that process So, you can go and host a pizza party. Or, at the other end of the spectrum, take everyone out for a steak dinner. Whatever. Invite their friend, everybody’s friends and family’s out for a picnic, or barbecue. Yeah, there’s lots of options there. Certainly, the team will appreciate The fact that they’re getting breaks as you’re going through, and that show of appreciation will go a long way.
Parting shots and thoughts for the folks this week? Well, certainly. Learning from the past is important as you go through these engagements. As soon as you finish your annual compliance push, pull the team back together. Get everybody together to do a post-mortem. What are things that went well? Where do we need to make additional improvements? What did they appreciate about what happened as we were going through things this year? And what things do we maybe need to stop doing as we’re going down that path? So getting input from all of the team members that were involved. Typically what I’ll do is, I’ll go and take a look through anybody that was either directly involved in any of the meetings around compliance, and anybody that was provisioning evidence, or the people that support those that are provisioning evidence. Get them all into the mix. And, you may need to do your post-mortems in a couple of different groups, etc. But, gather those data points, incorporate them into your next cycle. That goes a long, long way. It’s not only important, just as an organization, and doing what’s right, but it’s important that the participants in your security and compliance engagement have the opportunity to, number one, feel like their voice is heard. Number two, see that material changes are getting made based on the input that they provided. It’s important for them to see that come full circle to where they feel like their voices are heard. That’s hugely important as you’re going down the path. It’ll actually, for a lot of organizations, especially when they go in, let’s say it’s post-mortem number one, people are kind of clammed up and they’re not talking , but the more that they see that they’re not going to get flamed through the process, that you value their input and that their input is making a difference, all of those things will go a long way to be helpful.
Managing compliance is always going to be stressful. You can make it more manageable by practicing these kind of healthy habits, both for you and for your team. The first few years are probably the most grueling for compliance managers, but what they’ll find is over time, they’ll be able to identify a system that works for them, works for their organization, and especially, the use of a compliance management system is huge, for streamlining and optimizing, and organizing your engagement, that goes a long way to being able to reduce the stress. If you’re not, blowing time on useless activities, and tracking, and things on those lines, hey, guess what?
It gives more time to be productive, as you’re going through that annual compliance cycle.
And that right there, that’s the good stuff. Well, that’s all the time we have for this episode of Compliance Unfiltered. I’m Todd Coshow. And I’m Adam Goslin. Hope we helped to get you fired up to make your compliance suck less.
