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By Adam Turteltaub
adam.turteltaub@corporatecompliance.org
Over the last seventeen-plus years that I have worked in compliance, the dialogue about training has morphed in many ways. There was the debate over whether you could make compliance training mandatory. There was discussion about whether you could do something shorter than the typical 40 minutes to an hour course.
Both issues have long-since been settled, but one issue still gets hotly discussed: whether comedy can work in compliance training.
Jim Shields of Twist & Shout Media, strongly disagrees. He is one of the forces behind the compliance training series Tuesdays with Bernie (not weekend with Bernie, as I mistakenly said in the podcast).
In our discussion, he argues that there is a place for humor in compliance. He strongly believes that it can be very useful for gaining people’s attention and open a channel for communication, turning training from an interruption of the day to an interesting addition to it.
Listen in and then decide whether humor can enhance your compliance communications.
If you are a compliance professional and don’t have a sense of humor you will eventually hate your job and be viewed by employees as a bore and grim reaper.
I believe humor in compliance training is a must! Face it, the info we have to share is dry as dirt! The attendees will soon be unconscious with boredom and learn nothing. Now, yes, you have serious matter which merits serious attention. But scaring people into complying doesn’t work nor does endless droning.
I have often booked a local attorney for conferences who knows more about HIPAA than most people have forgotten. People clamor for her presentations because she injects dry humor with the serious stuff. Now anyone who can make HIPAA engaging is ok in my book. She can make Board training fun and engaging.
The main point is that you have to engage your audience or they won’t learn a thing. Make a bit of fun of your job and teach them the compliance song all CCOs know. Stick your fingers in both ears and loudly sing, “la,la,la”. If they aren’t engaged they aren’t learning.
Go forth and be compliant!
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