How to Write Clear Policies

Look at this. Can you park here? This tangle of parking regulations is what many employees face when trying to navigate company policies. How do we expect our teams to navigate the they gray of compliance if the guidelines are as confusing as these signs?!? As Ethics & Compliance Executives, we must do better. Our role isn’t just to enforce rules but to foster a culture of integrity through clear communication. We need to write policies as if we’re the ones who have to follow them daily. This means engaging with empathy, writing with clarity, and providing context that helps employees understand the ‘why’ behind the ‘what.’ Here's how: 1️⃣ Use Plain Language: Write as if you're explaining the policy to a friend outside your industry. Avoid legalistic jargon and opt for clear, concise language. 2️⃣ Be Relevant: Ensure that every policy is relevant to your employees' day-to-day roles. If it doesn't apply, it's just noise. 3️⃣ Structure for Success: Organize policies logically. A well-structured document guides the reader through without confusion. 4️⃣ Highlight Key Points: Just as a stop sign stands out for its importance, make sure your critical points are immediately visible. 5️⃣ Test Your Policies: Before finalizing, test your policies with a sample of employees. If they can't follow them, it's time for a rewrite. Remember, a policy should guide, not hinder. By making our policies and codes of conduct more humanized and actionable, we pave the way for an ethical company culture that's not only understood but embraced by all. Let’s craft our policies with the end-user in mind! What are your tips or pitfalls to avoid? ❤️ Nick Gallo + Ethico #compliance #ethics #culture

✋ 10 Things I Hate About Policies (and What We Should Do Instead) Let’s be honest: most corporate policies aren’t helping people make good choices. They’re long. They’re vague. They’re legally sound, but practically useless. I’ve worked in legal and compliance long enough to say this with love: most policies are written by lawyers for lawyers—not for the humans they’re meant to guide. Here are 10 things I hate about traditional policies—and what I believe we should do instead: 1. Written for lawyers, not people. They sound like a deposition transcript. Real people need real words. 2. Law citations before guidance. I don’t need to see “FCPA, UKBA, ISO 37001” before you tell me what to do when someone offers me playoff tickets. 3. “Including but not limited to.” The unofficial mascot of policy clutter. Retire it already. 4. The exception maze. Don’t bury nuance at the bottom. Acknowledge gray areas like grown-ups. 5. Training required just to understand it. If I need a course to decode the policy, the policy has failed. 6. All “don’ts,” no “do’s.” Fear-based rules freeze people. Clarity-based ones empower them. 7. Walls of text. White space is your friend. So are headers, visuals, and clean design. 8. Peanut butter approach. Stop sending the credit card policy to everyone. It’s lazy compliance. Target people who actually need it. 9. Undefined audience. Who is this for? Managers? HR? Everyone? I shouldn’t have to guess. 10. Assume we’ll figure it out—or else. Bad policies punish. Good ones guide. ✨ Want better policies? Start here: - Use clear language. - Show people what to do, not just what not to do. - Make it role-relevant. - Design it like you want someone to actually read it. Let’s write policies that help people make good choices—with confidence and clarity. #Compliance #Culture #PolicyReform #MakeGoodChoices #LegalDesign #HumanCompliance #Ethics #Leadership #UserExperience

Just reviewed your procedures, …and – well – they’re not good… ->they’re either too detailed, turning into a novel, or so vague they leave the reader scratching their head. The secret? Tailoring your procedures to your audience and hitting that "just right" level of detail. Here’s how I try to strike the balance… ->Write for the people executing the procedure. Are they experienced engineers, junior analysts, or cross-functional (HR, Accounting, etc.) teams? Use language and concepts they’ll understand. ->Avoid unnecessary theory or deep background and PLEASE assume a baseline of competence. Outline clear, actionable steps someone ->skilled in the art<- can follow without needing extra guidance. ->Include enough detail to prevent confusion or missteps, but not so much that your procedure becomes heavy to follow or maintain. ->Use concise, active language. Focus on tasks, tools, and outcomes. Every word should add clarity & value to execution. ->Have someone unfamiliar with the procedure try to execute it. If they ask for clarification, refine it. If they finish without questions, you’re close to “goldilocks.” When procedures are done right, they empower your team to act confidently and consistently. Start by writing a procedure to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, then have someone follow it and provide feedback. Iterate and improve. #ciso #dpo #MSP #compliance #procedures