By Adam Turteltaub

Want to improve your code of conduct? Don’t miss the session: Cornering the Code: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach Toward a Better Code of Ethics at the 2025 SCCE European Compliance &  Ethics Institute.

In this podcast Matej Drascek, Head of Internal Audit at LON d.d. and Ursula Schmidt of Schmidt Advisory recommend starting with the right language. Research has shown, they explain, that people react more strongly to words like “we” and “our”, which can convey a stronger sense of shared responsibility  than words like “you”, “I” or “it”. Also, words like “must” or “have to” carry more weight than “may” or “should”.

Of course, just using “we” and “must” won’t do it all. The code, they tell us, should have a service character that gives guidance to people and gives employees a sense of purpose. It should also be dynamic and work as a bit of a safety valve. It should provide reassurance that it protects them from making mistakes and helps them feel safer when addressing issues.

For the code of conduct to be valuable in a crisis, it must have first been written clearly and avoid ambiguity. It should fit the organization’s culture, be practical, and able to be applied in a reasonable manner.

Listen in to learn more. Then don’t miss their session at the 2025 SCCE European Compliance & Ethics Institute.

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