‘We’ve got this,” you say to yourself. “Our organization has a robust compliance program. We can point to myriad ways that we have adhered to all the expected requirements. We’ve dedicated ample resources, and we have implemented a host of internal controls and program initiatives. If we ever have to defend our efforts to uphold a standard of conduct, we’ve done the best that we can do.”

But have you really?

Unfortunately, one need only look at some of the headlines today about organizations facing scandal—senior executives stepping out of line, corruption, conflicts of interest, fraud.

In a number of instances, companies that have found themselves embroiled in controversy have also had robust compliance programs in place. Some of them even had award-winning programs. So it begs the question: Is it worth the effort?

The truth is that if you have implemented a comprehensive compliance program in your organization, you have done a very good thing. Every effort by an organization to encourage appropriate business conduct makes a difference. You are not wasting time or resources.

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