Non-Compliance - problem or gift

Non-compliance can be viewed as a ‘problem’ resulting in solutions which are hoping to resolve that ‘problem’. From a more constructive point of view, non-compliance can be seen as a gift of ‘valuable feedback’ to help us achieve the best possible outcome for both the customer and ourselves.


‘Non-compliance’ in an organisation can be compared with a customer not buying a product they don’t like, leaving a meal in a restaurant that doesn’t meet their expectations or an employee not completing a mandatory learning package.


The problem is not always the person who doesn’t ‘comply’, it is more likely that the offering does not match the needs of/adds value to the person or the person does not fully understand the benefits to themselves and the organisation. Deciding to see ‘non-compliance’ as valuable feedback empowers suppliers of 'compliance' products and services to actively seek customers’ qualitative feedback and collaborate on how to make continuous improvements to a product or service for the benefit of all customer, leading in turn to better ‘compliance' (more accurately known as buy-in/ownership/personal responsibility). 


Using the above comparative examples, would it help to ‘tell’ or ‘train’ a customer to eat a meal in a restaurant that doesn’t meet their needs/expectations? Or would it help to actively seek their feedback, improve the meal based on the feedback received, give the customer a voucher to eat at the restaurant again at a future date and regain their trust (and your reputation)?


Even if a product or service is mandatory, which organisations often feel they have to consider, there has to be more of a commitment to explain the benefits and positively influence accountability in others, rather than using the ‘stick’ or 'reward' approach. 

Compliance as a possible sign of high stress & anxiety

Reflective questions:

1. So why do some employees/customers always comply with whatever is given to them, even when it doesn’t meet their own or their customers’ needs/expectations?
2. Why do people feel their feedback will not make a difference?
3. Why do some people eat the meal that doesn’t meet their expectations?
4. Why do people blindly believe everything a GP tells them?
5. Why do people believe changes or improvement to legislation are outside of their control?
6. Why do people see the law as a compliance target rather than a minimum standard to exceed? (see related blog - Legislation - Compliance Target or Minimum Standard)

Possible answers (not an exhaustive list):

1. Don’t want to ‘rock the boat’
2. Don’t want to upset the other person
3. Avoid embarrassment
4. Avoid conflict
5. Lacks confidence/assertiveness
6. Feels intimidated by the (sometimes perceived) status/power of the other person
7. Learned helplessness
8. Don’t know how to challenge
9. Don’t know how to say no
10. Worried about losing their job
11. Fear of blame
12. Fear of being seen as a 'trouble-maker' (Related blog - Troublemaker or Changemaker)

Non-compliance is not a problem. It should raise curiosity and be seen as an opportunity for getting more feedback to improve the quality of compliance products, service or communication. On the contrary however, there should be much more concern for the cultural impact of ‘blind compliance’.

Related TED video talking about Willing Blindness, a very human condition and the activity of whistle-blowing:

Margaret Heffernan: The dangers of "willful blindness" #TED