Integrity is not about catching people doing wrong—it’s about creating the conditions for them to do right. People don’t show up to work intending to break policy; they show up to contribute, to belong, and to succeed. If we begin with that premise, enforcement becomes less about punishment and more about partnership.
As I wrote in Compliance Officers Are People, Too: “In every space I’ve worked, I’ve seen what’s possible when structure meets values, and when compliance shifts from enforcement to influence.” Enforcement is not the enemy of culture; It’s the proof that values are real. Without enforcement, culture risks becoming aspirational rhetoric. With enforcement, culture gains resilience and trust.
The Integrity Framework insists that integrity is a shared responsibility. Enforcement is part of that responsibility, but it must be exercised in ways that build confidence rather than fear. Policies should be clear and practical, rules applied consistently, and violations treated as opportunities to ask what conditions made them possible and how to prevent them together. Most importantly, enforcement must empower rather than silence. Fear erodes integrity, while trust amplifies it.
Fairness in the investigation process is central to credibility. Even when the outcome is corrective action or termination, the process itself must reflect integrity. Both the reporter and the respondent perspectives should be heard and considered. This balanced approach ensures that enforcement is not arbitrary, but contextual. It communicates that accountability is about preventing recurrence, not simply assigning blame. When employees see that investigations are fair, they trust that enforcement is rooted in values rather than politics or favoritism.
Tools like root cause analysis strengthen this fairness. They help organizations look beyond the surface of a violation to understand the conditions that contributed to it. For example, I witnessed an employee violating a conduct policy. At first glance, it appeared to be a simple conduct violation. But a deeper analysis revealed that the behavior stemmed from mounting frustration after the employee sought mentoring and guidance from their supervisor but never received it. Without intervention, frustration bubbled over into conduct that crossed a line. The lesson was clear: enforcement is not just about holding the employee accountable, but also about holding the system accountable.
By embedding fairness and systemic insight into enforcement, organizations demonstrate that accountability applies to everyone, not just those at the front lines. Employees see that standards are objective, consequences are consistent, and corrective actions are designed to prevent recurrence. That credibility is what sustains an integrity culture.
As I wrote: “Integrity is not enforced by fear—it is sustained by belonging.” When people are included, they don’t just follow the rules—they embody them. Enforcement, when carried out through the Integrity Framework, becomes not just credible but transformative.
Where integrity leads, progress follows.
Signed with purpose,
Desiree.