By Adam Turteltaub

While compliance and ethics professionals spend most of their time looking outward at the ethical considerations of others, there are definitely times to pause, and to look at their own ethical obligations.

According to Ted Banks, a veteran compliance officer and partner at the firm Scharf Banks Marmor, that begins with recognizing that the compliance officer has to be an example and demonstrate ethical conduct all the time, and firmness about what is appropriate.  And, at the same time, there is a strong need not to be a jerk about it.  Much like SCCE/HCCA CEO Roy Snell recently wrote, a lack of political and communication skills, can lead to failure as a compliance officer.

As importantly, the compliance officer needs to know that there are obligations to the company as well as to the public at large and to the compliance profession.  These are captured in the SCCE Code of Professional Ethics for Compliance Professionals.

But how do you navigate these issues?  In this podcast Ted provides several pieces of practical advice:

* Never consent to wrongdoing, but escalate the issue as high as necessary

* Never abet or aid retaliation

* Avoid personal conflicts of interest

* Be honest in the results you and the compliance program can achieve

* Understand technology, both its risks and opportunities

* And, if you’re a lawyer, recognize you have legal code of professional responsibilities as well

Listen in to learn more.  And to gain still more insights, be sure to attend his session at the 2018 Compliance and Ethics Institute.