How we craft and tailor our messages when communicating compliance objectives is critical to building effective relationships and trust. When I was younger, a good friend of mine shared an important analogy with me. I have found it has adapted with me over the years and is particularly helpful in the field of compliance. 

Scene: Two people are standing in an open field playing a game of catch with a baseball. One person, “pro,” is a professional baseball player and can throw a 90-mile-per-hour fastball. The other individual, “newbie,” is an inexperienced player who just signed up for their first recreational league and is learning the game. 

Objective: Baseball needs to get from pro to newbie. 

Approach 1: Pro winds up and throws the ball with their fastest pitch to newbie. Would this accomplish the objective? Would newbie even be able to catch the ball with their beginner skills? Is there a potential risk in a ball coming that fast to someone like newbie with that little experience? 

Approach 2: Now, imagine pro with well-intended accuracy and aim, gently tossing the ball underhand to newbie. Do you think the odds of newbie catching the ball are higher? Does this approach seem more appropriate? Is the risk of potential harm to newbie less? 

While the delivery and method of the ball changed, both approaches tried meeting the same objective: to get the ball from pro to newbie. However, the second approach has a more favorable outcome, as it considers newbie’s skill level and ability to catch the ball. 

How we approach our communication with others through both the delivery of our message and the other person’s ability to receive it is much like a game of catch. When people are speaking to compliance, they may feel much like newbie. The terminology and regulations that compliance professionals have experience and fluency in discussing may be difficult to grasp for those less familiar. 

The next time you are speaking with someone who may not be well-versed in compliance, consider your delivery and the best approach for that individual’s understanding and perspective on the matter. How you set up your message before you send it across the field affects others’ abilities to actively participate in the compliance objective and builds trust and confidence when working with you. 

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