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. Seeing ‘non-compliance’ as valuable feedback empowers suppliers of 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 customers, leading in turn to better ‘compliance’.

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/sell the benefits and positively influence actions 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. Who do people blindly believe everything a GP tells them?

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

Non-compliance is not a problem. It is just an opportunity for getting more feedback to improve the quality of products, service and communication. On the contrary however, there should be more concern for ‘blind compliance’.

A great reframe which will focus the mind is to change the word 'compliance' to 'ownership' or 'commitment'. So, the title of this Mini Hack would read: 'Non-ownership: problem or gift