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Tips Archives - Ethintegrity

Nichole Pitts
In Press

How 17 Women Leaders Learned to Trust Their Intuition

Published in Thrive Global

(Excerpt)

Nichole Pitts

Founder and CEO of Ethintegrity, a boutique consulting firm focusing on a culture-based approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, and ethics and compliance.

“The strategy I’ve found most helpful in getting me to trust my intuition is centering myself with breathwork and meditation. By calming my nervous system and clearing the clutter from my mind, I can tune into how my body feels and get clarity. Typically, when trying to figure out what to do, I sit quietly and allow the thoughts to come through like closed captions. I feel into the ideas, and when I feel a sense of peace, I know my intuition has been activated. Now, if I want a second opinion, I’ll ask for a particular sign to confirm my decision, which has always worked well for me.”

Click here to read the full article.

Nichole Pitts
In Press

Tactical Ways Entrepreneurs at Any Stage Can Future-Proof Their Businesses

Published in Nasdaq

(Excerpt)

How to future-proof your business: I found the key to future-proofing my business was staying on top of the news and the conversations on social media. Ethics and DEI are a constantly changing landscape, which requires listening to understand new points of view and how to incorporate those into the services I offer to businesses to help them operate in an ethical and diverse manner.

My advice: Understand your ideal client and stay on the journey with them. As they evolve, so should your business. Also, ensure that you are operating as your authentic self. People gravitate to those who show up as themselves because they feel a sense of kinship and connection like they can trust you to solve their problem because you are open and honest with them.

To read the full article, click here.

Nichole Pitts
In Press

24 Successful Women Share Why and How They Quit Their Jobs, and If They’d Do It Again

Published in Ladies Get Paid

(Excerpt)

Nichole Pitts

Founder and CEO of Ethintegrity, a consulting firm empowering forward-thinking organizations and professionals to solve complex ethics and compliance, and DEI problems. 

My story: I quit my role as Vice President of Compliance and Ethics in 2018. I had the realization that no matter how hard I worked and how innovative I was, I had grown as much as I could in that company. And I had unfortunately allowed myself to root my value in my job title. If I wasn’t being promoted, I thought there was something fundamentally wrong with me. So I decided to reframe this narrative and start my own company using the skills and talent I had honed over the years. I leaned into what I loved and away from what I didn’t. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Running my own company hasn’t been easy, but the people I’ve met and the knowledge and confidence I gained have empowered me to grow in ways that weren’t possible in a corporate environment.

My advice: The first thing I did when I decided to quit was to find a therapist to develop some coping skills in case I freaked out once I gave notice. I think it’s normal to question yourself and your decisions because most of us love that sense of stability. But having a toolkit of skills and coping mechanisms to remember your “why” and be proactive about managing the valleys in your journey is critical to helping you focus on enjoying and celebrating your peaks. 

Click here to read the full article.

Nichole Pitts
In Press

Creating Authentic & Sustainable Ethics

Published in Go Solo

(Excerpt)

What are the top tips you’d give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Understand Your Ideal Client Demographics. Who are you trying to market to? This is where we get specific. For example, do you state that your ideal client is a women entrepreneur? If so, are they specifically cis-gendered women, or are you also including trans women and non-binary? If so, then you may want to ensure your marketing materials use “womxn” vs. “women” to show this inclusion. Doing some market research with your desired client base will provide rich feedback about the type of demographics you should ensure your address in your marketing campaigns.
  2. Services & Products Designed Inclusively. Inclusive design is an approach/mindset/practice that ensures everyone across the full range of human diversity, regardless of their identity or background, can fully access and benefit from products, services, and environments that you create. Have you ensured that your product or service is accessible to your ideal client base? This is where the feedback from your ideal client proves to be invaluable.
  3. Executing Marketing & Communications Effectively. How accessible are your marketing tools? Have you ensured that it is accessible (i.e., website and emails)? Do you serve clients around the world? If so, have you considered having your website translated to broaden your appeal and client base? Are you using the demographics of your ideal client in your marketing campaigns? And do you have a “crisis plan” in place to help you quickly and effectively manage any unanticipated backlash from marketing?

To read the full article, click here.

Nichole Pitts
In Blog

3 Tips to Create a Competitive Advantage for Compliance Departments

Outline of two brains with coloured blocks to signify the brains
February 27
Outline of two brains with coloured blocks to signify the brains

With so much pressure for companies to decrease costs and increase profits, departments that are considered “cost centers” are typically asked to reduce costs each year. Often, Compliance departments struggle with getting business leaders to understand the true value it provides to the organization. This is especially apparent during annual budget review.

So how do you get your Compliance department to be seen as a competitive advantage within the company? Below, I provide you with 3 easy tips.

1. Brand Your Department

Be Recognizable
    • Create a “vision” or “guiding principles” for your department. What is the purpose of your group? What do you want to achieve? Has this been developed with input and engagement from all of the department staff? What “active verb” would you use to capture the overall theme of your vision or guiding principles?
    • If permitted, consider a department logo. This will help with instant recognition and you can build a theme around it. Even if your company does not permit department logos, think about a consistent graphic that you can use in your materials. For instance, using a compass in your documents can help employees to think of your department as “leading them in the right direction.”
    • Ensure a uniform “look & feel” to your documents and communications. This isn’t to say that they have to be dry or boring, but you want to make sure that the layout and use of corporate branding colors are used in a way that can set you apart from other departments and are visually appealing to the eye. When you are scrolling through social media, what “adverts” peak your interest? You are basically advertising your department so make sure it is appealing!
    • Consistently communicate and engage with employees. These communications don’t have to be long posts or articles, it could be short, fun snippets. By consistently communicating engaging content, employees will become accustomed to seeing your posts. It creates a habit for both them and you.
Be Unique/Engaging
    • Identify the key strengths of your team members (i.e. humor, data analytics, graphic design, SME, etc.)
    • Develop a) creative ideas that match the department vision; b) relationships with key stakeholders in all levels of the organization; and c) a communication strategy
    • Utilize different platforms to communicate your message (i.e. podcasts, videos, town halls, smartphone apps, etc.)
Identify & Engage “Influencers”
    • Think of this as a reboot of “Ethics Ambassadors” or “Compliance Champions”
    • Who are the “influencers” in your organization? Reach out to them to create a collaboration so that you can expand your reach by tapping into their already established network. If they are seen as a “thought leader” or “trusted advisor”, having them as a partner to discuss ethics is a win for both of you.

2. Innovate, Innovate, Innovate

  • Use infographics & awareness posters. Partner with your Marketing/Graphics Design department to come up with creative ideas to share information in a visually appealing and engaging way. If you want to use creative material that has already been designed for ethics, try Broadcat
  • LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® – use LEGO® bricks and 3D Diagnostic Cards to facilitate a discussion about the specific ethical situations employees encounter on a day to day basis. This allows participants to not only be completely engaged but encourages them to think about your policies in relation to their role. It also has the added benefit of giving you real time feedback on the effectiveness of your program
  • Cartoons – purchase a license to use an ethics cartoon (i.e. Dilbert by Scott Adams to use in training or various communications (i.e. department newsletters). Or create your own cartoons that address common ethical challenges in your own organization
  • Short videos – you can create your own videos by working with your Marketing department, or purchase a license to use short, fun ethics videos (I love Second City Works “Real Biz Shorts”)
  • Films & Popular TV shows – there are always ethical situations covered in popular films (i.e. Captain America: Civil War) or tv shows (i.e. Game of Thrones, Peaky Blinders, etc.). Turn “water cooler conversations” into teachable moments

3. Make the Connection: Branding + Innovation = Competitive Advantage

By fusing your “brand” with innovative training and awareness campaigns, you create a competitive advantage for your department.

  • Visibility – by publishing creative content and engaging with influencers, your policies, intranet site, and department become a well-known staple throughout your organization
  • Collaboration – ensure you are involved in key discussions with leadership (i.e. Operations and Business Development) as well as with influencers and local management
  • Thought Leader – consistent engagement and publishing tools for employees to use creates the thought that your department is the “go to” group to answer a myriad of questions. When people know who you are, they are more likely to contact you with questions
  • Reduced Financial Exposure – as your employees become more aware and knowledgeable of the policies, procedures and applicable laws, the company is better able to mitigate its risk and reduce its financial exposure

By using branding and innovation, you can make your department an “influencer” in your organization and be seen as a competitive advantage.

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