Four Mistakes to Avoid While Implementing Policy Management

Effective policy management is crucial yet complex, often determining the success of an organization’s compliance framework. In today’s fast-paced regulatory environment, the stakes are high, and error margins are thin.

According to MetricStream’s State of Compliance Survey, over 41% of organizations indicate that updating policies and procedures is a major challenge in compliance, underscoring the need for a systematic approach.

This blog post aims to identify the four most common mistakes organizations make while implementing policy management, helping you navigate complex landscapes with confidence and speed. But first, let’s understand what policy management actually is.

What is Policy Management?

Policy management involves creating, distributing, and maintaining policies to ensure adherence and operational efficiency. These rules, or policies, make sure everyone, from the boss to the newest hire, is on the same page and following the same playbook.

It’s not just about writing up policies and calling it a day. Effective policy management not only ensures regulatory compliance but also safeguards an organization’s integrity and operational efficiency. It includes making sure everyone understands the rules and that they’re up-to-date and relevant. 

Despite the importance of policy management, many executives lack confidence in their current policies. According to Ropes & Gray’s Global Risk Management Report, nearly 70% of executives fear their existing policies won’t meet future needs. This highlights a critical concern: policy management must be continuous and proactive.

Organizations cannot afford to set policies and forget them. Instead, they must actively update and refine these policies to proactively manage emerging risks and regulatory demands.

Now that we have established this let’s discuss the top four mistakes that organizations should avoid while implementing policy management.

 

 

 

Mistake 1: Lack of Clear Goals and Objectives

This way, your policies will help your company reach its big-picture goals and stay out of trouble with the law. Setting clear goals is like having a roadmap; it helps you figure out what policies you need, how to put them into action, and how to make sure everyone’s doing their part. Without clear goals, policies can get confusing, and nobody knows how to follow them.

Consequences of Undefined Goals and Objectives

When organizations lack clear policy management goals, they often face several adverse effects:

• Inconsistent Policy Application: If you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve with your company policies, different departments will end up following them in different ways. This can lead to significant confusion and problems.
• Reactive Approach: According to a survey, 65 per cent of businesses have policies that are “reactive” or “basic” rather than “maturing” or “advanced.” This reactive approach often results in rushed updates and patchwork solutions that fail to address underlying issues.
• Increased Risk Exposure: Undefined goals can lead to inadequate risk assessments, leaving organizations vulnerable to regulatory breaches and operational risks.

Case Study: British Milk Council

For instance, the British Milk Council had to go through a lot of trouble because of their ex-employee Jason. The company lacked clear objectives and processes for managing its social media accounts. Initially, an employee set up social accounts using his email address. When this employee left the job, it created a major issue. 

The British Milk Council found themselves locked out of their own social media accounts because they didn’t have a secure and documented procedure for managing passwords and account access.

Jason, the ex-employee, took control of the accounts and used them destructively, causing significant damage to the organization’s online presence. This chaos led to the loss of followers and confusion among social media users, ultimately diminishing the brand’s value.

This situation highlights the importance of having clear objectives and structured processes in policy management. Defining and consistently applying policies can prevent such problems and protect the organization’s assets.

Strategies for Setting Clear Goals

To avoid the pitfalls of lacking clear goals and objectives in policy management, consider the following strategies:

• Define Specific Objectives: Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for your policy management process.
• Align Policies with Organizational Goals: Ensure that each policy aligns with the broader strategic objectives of the organization.
• Stakeholder Involvement: Engage key stakeholders in the goal-setting process to ensure policies meet the needs of all departments.

Alright, on to the next big issue: poor communication.

Mistake 2: Poor Communication

Successful policy management is rooted in effective communication. Organizations must communicate policies so that everyone, without exception, understands what is expected of them in performing their roles. Without proper communication, the best-written policies won’t achieve compliance and operational efficiency.

According to a survey by Gartner, 23% of security and IT professionals identified staying aware and interpreting new requirements and regulations as the top compliance program challenge. It signifies the critical need for effective communication in policy management.

Also read: What are the Five Reasons for Compliance Failure

Consequences of Poor Communication

Ineffective communication of policies can cause several issues:

• Confusion and Misinterpretation: Employees might misunderstand the policies, leading to inconsistent application and potential non-compliance.
• Lack of Awareness: A significant portion of employees may be unaware of new or updated policies, increasing the risk of violations.
• Reduced Accountability: Without clear communication, it is difficult to hold employees accountable for adhering to policies.

Case Study: T-Mobile

T-Mobile has faced a variety of cyber attacks, notably the one in August 2021, which affected approximately 40 million customers. And then faced another cyber attack in 2023, affecting 37 million customer records. 

The company assured that it would improve its safeguards and controls, but incidents continue to happen. What this shows is a failure in policy communication. Each incident demonstrates that employees might not be well informed or actually adhering to updated security policies.

This highlights the importance of effectively communicating new security measures so all employees understand their roles in protecting customer data.

Top Ways to Improve Communication

• Centralized Policy Access: Ensure all policies are accessible through a centralized platform like VComply’s PolicyOps, offering a single source of truth for all employees.
• Regular Training and Updates: Schedule regular training sessions to make employees aware of policies as well as their updates, keeping them informed and knowledgeable.
• Clear and Concise Communication: Clearly present policies in documents using straightforward language so that they are easily understood by all employees, avoiding confusion and misinterpretation.
• Frequent Reminders and Reinforcement: Send regular reminders and updates using various communication channels about important policy issues and compliance requirements, keeping these policies top-of-mind for all employees.

Alright, let’s move on to another critical oversight: skipping out on training and development.

Mistake 3: Bypassing Training and Development

Training is super important for handling policies effectively. It helps employees grasp the rules, understand why they matter, and learn how to follow them right. Training creates a culture of compliance and reduces risks by making sure employees are well-informed and skilled at sticking to rules.

According to Navex Global’s report, training staff on policies and aligning policies with new laws are cited as among the biggest challenges. Training is super important for handling policies effectively. It helps employees grasp the rules, understand why they matter, and learn how to follow them right. This indicates that organizations are still fighting to create effective training programs.

Consequences of Bypassing Training and Development Programs

Ignoring training and development programs can lead to several adverse effects:

• Non-Compliance: If employees don’t follow the policies, it could lead to legal trouble.
• Inconsistent Practices: Without solid training, different parts of the company might not follow the same rules in the same way.
• Increased Risk: Not getting trained raises the chance of mistakes and problems, putting the organization in danger.

Case Study: Equifax

Let’s look at Equifax as an example. In 2017, Homeland Security told Equifax about a vulnerability in their system. Despite warnings, they didn’t fix it. Plus, a device misconfiguration left them open to attacks. 

Hackers got into Equifax’s system, exposing data from millions of people. A $650,000 (£500,000) fine followed for failing to keep info safe.

If Equifax had adhered to proper training and security protocols, they might have identified and fixed the vulnerability and ensured proper configuration and certification renewal.

How to Integrate Consistent Training in Policy Management?

• Interactive Learning Tools: Try e-learning tools, quizzes, and workshops so employees stay engaged.
• Customizable Training Programs: Make sure each role gets specific training that matters to them.
• Leverage Technology: Use policy management software like VComply’s PolicyOps for smooth training delivery and tracking progress. 

Finally, let’s cover the importance of constant vigilance in policies.

Mistake 4: Neglecting Policy Review and Monitoring

Keeping watch over your policies makes sure they’re useful, up-to-date, and follow current laws. Regular checks help find gaps, weak spots, and areas needing updating so policies do what they’re supposed to do.

Recent surveys suggest that 44% of businesses find it hard to do compliance checks, test controls, or update policies. This highlights the challenge of keeping policies fresh in a fast-changing rule-setting area.

Also read: Regulatory readiness – Practical tips to get it right

Consequences of Neglecting Policy Review and Monitoring

• Employee Disengagement: Old policies can confuse and frustrate employees, damaging morale.
• Missed Opportunities: Skipping reviews means missing out on getting better or trying new things.
• Reputation Risks: Inconsistent, outdated, or mixed-up policies might harm how others see your company.

Case Study: Ericsson

In December 2018, the expiry of a digital certificate used by Ericsson in its SGSN-MME software led to service outages for UK customers of multiple mobile carriers, affecting around 32 million people. 

This incident occurred because the organization did not regularly monitor and review critical security policies. The organization’s failure to renew the certificate on time emphasized the importance of continuous policy oversight.

Without periodic reviews, such oversights can cause operational disruptions and increase vulnerability to cyber-attacks. Consistent monitoring of policies could have prevented the service outage and ensured the uninterrupted protection of critical systems.

Strategies for Regular Policy Review and Monitoring

• Establish Clear Review Cycles: Decide on dates (every year or twice a year) for checking your rules for updates.
• Benchmarking Against Industry Standards: Often, judge your policies against industry standards for ways to get better.
• Continuous Feedback Mechanism: Let staff share ideas based on their work experience – this will improve your policies and adherence.
• Document Changes: Keep tabs on changes made to your policies so everyone’s on board about what’s new. Using tools like VComply can help with this part!

Alright, ready to hear about a top-notch solution for overcoming these recurring policy management challenges? Check this out.

Best Solution for Overcoming Policy Management Challenges

VComply’s PolicyOps platform transforms policy management by automating processes, guaranteeing efficiency and compliance. The platform offers a comprehensive solution to tackle the difficulties of manual policy management. Here’s how it gives you complete control over the policy lifecycle.

Centralized Policy Management

VComply has a central hub for managing policies, making it easier to organize, distribute, and access them. This feature helps employees easily locate and comprehend policies, reducing confusion and ensuring consistent application.

Collaborative Policy Drafting and Approval

VComply allows organizations to work together in developing, reviewing, and endorsing policies. The platform supports uploading current documents, organizing them by department, and tracking revisions. All this is done through an automated process that facilitates seamless sharing of feedback and timely implementation.

Efficient Use of Templates and Version Control

VComply provides ready-to-use templates that can be customized to streamline policy creation and guarantee alignment with best practices. Version control capabilities help manage changes, keep a record of modifications over time, and ensure that stakeholders always have access to the most up-to-date policy versions.

Enhanced Stakeholder Collaboration and Training

The platform encourages collaboration among stakeholders by offering a dedicated policy workspace where team members can cooperate on policy development and review. It also supports various training assessments such as quizzes and scenario-based evaluations to ensure thorough understanding and compliance with policies.

Automated Reminders and Alerts

To add to its features, VComply sends automated reminders and alerts to keep employees updated on policy changes and maintain accountability. With integrations with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook, timely notifications are provided so everyone remains informed and compliant.

So, are you ready to transform your policy management processes and enhance compliance? Discover how VComply’s PolicyOps can streamline your processes, ensure compliance, and boost operational efficiency. Request a demo today and see the difference for yourself.

Conclusion

Navigating the complexities of policy management is crucial for organizational success. The four common mistakes people make while implementing policy management include lack of clear goals, poor communication, bypassing training, and neglecting policy review—which can significantly impact compliance and operational efficiency. By setting clear goals, ensuring effective communication, implementing comprehensive training, and regularly reviewing policies, organizations can avoid these pitfalls. With a systematic and proactive approach, you can navigate the complex landscape of compliance with confidence and agility. 

By leveraging VComply’s PolicyOps platform, organizations can transition from the cumbersome manual management of policies to a streamlined, automated process that enhances compliance and operational efficiency. Try VComply using a free demo today!