Policy Management by Design: From Chaos to Culture
Policies are more than documents on a shelf. They are the DNA of organizational integrity, the framework that defines culture, directs behavior, and provides accountability in times of scrutiny. When done well, policies guide decisions, reduce liability, and build trust across the enterprise. When they are fragmented, inconsistent, or outdated, they create exposure rather than protection.
Unfortunately, many organizations still operate in that fragmented state. Policies live across file shares, emails, intranet sites, and even printed binders. Multiple versions circulate at the same time, and employees are never quite sure which is the right one. New policies are sometimes authored without legal review, creating unintended liabilities. Attestations are tracked poorly, if at all, leaving leadership uncertain whether employees even know what standards apply. In this environment, policy management is not a back-office nuisance — it is a governance, risk, and compliance failure waiting to happen.
This confusion undermines culture as well as compliance. Every policy is, at its heart, a risk document. It exists because a risk was identified and needed to be addressed. Policies . . .
[The rest of this blog can be read on the Comply blog, where GRC 20/20’s Michael Rasmussen is a Guest Blogger]