You're an ethical leader passionate about upholding integrity at work and in the world
It’s not easy convincing people to follow the rules, especially in a world where people are tired of too many rules, policies and… "not another compliance training!"
You’re juggling multiple stakeholder demands, increasing regulatory scrutiny and a public that are quick to condemn your organisation if violations go public.
When you took on a compliance role, you were looking forward to burying yourself in the work and getting things done. After all you are the consummate professional! But quickly you discovered your main challenge…. people and organisational dynamics.
You often wonder...
"Why won’t people just follow the rules!"
"Why don't people report violations?"
And
Management expect you to work miracles and fix problems… with tight resources
People are scared to approach you
You have to pick your battles
It can be a lonely journey. Bound by strict confidentiality, you often know more than your colleagues. You have to build your allies - manage upwards, sideways, downwards…. It’s exhausting. It's tempting just to tick the boxes to satisfy regulators, but you want to make a real difference.
Imagine an oasis of calm… a space where people understand you, where you can voice your worries, receive validation, re-centre and get yourself back on track with the dreams you have for your organisation.
Our Circle gives you the space you need.
There are the big scandals, that remind you of what happens if you don’t do your job right.
Goldman Sachs and 1MDB is a cautionary tale. In a highly regulated industry where anti-money laundering rules are well understood, compliance was bypassed in the interest of profits.
It could happen to even the best of organisations. In my talk on Goldman Sachs, I highlight the underlying pressures and organisational dynamics, familiar to many in compliance roles.
If the issues raised in the Goldman video resonated, then join me, Animah Kosai as we,
dare to venture further...
Explore how organisational dynamics, human behaviour and business pressures impact the work you do.
Reframe your goals and programmes to change hearts and minds… influencing even your most resistant stakeholders.
A change in perspective makes a world of difference.
With my unique blend of corporate compliance expertise, coaching skills and my tenacious vision of disrupting "this is how it's always been": I will hear your frustration and worries, while challenging you to bring your talents and passion to the fore, through your compliance role... benefiting your colleagues, management and your organisation.
We make the Circle truly work for you
Upon joining the Circle, pick a project for 2021 at work and identify what you need to overcome to make it happen.
Then, hop onto our 8 Circle live zoom calls as I guide you and your cohort, exploring themes each week, to help you:
- Align your aspirations and values (it's easy to lose sight along the way!)
- Figure out what makes your stakeholders tick
- Navigate compliance-business conflicts
- Amplify your voice so leaders listen
- Take practical steps towards building and sustaining a strong ethical culture.
The Weekly Themes
Explored through 8 x 90 minute sessions over 8 weeks
The 8 weekly themes are designed around you, your organisation and its environment; the "how-to's" as you navigate multiple stakeholders; and finally you stepping into a powerful leadership stance as you reflect and model Institutional Courage while inspiring those around you.
This was my path as I inspired colleagues and board members in leading ethics, governance and respect initiatives. Realising this was bigger than just my former company, I stepped out and formed Speak Up At Work to bring this to a global platform.
I was general counsel with an oil and gas company, and am familiar with corporate pressures and the importance of strategic relationship building in getting governance initiatives through and enforcing policies.
What happens in a Circle?
We meet as a group once a week for 90 minutes via zoom. Each Circle will be kept small (no more than 10 people). Pre-discussion materials are provided to enhance your understanding of the theme for the week. I facilitate, enabling everyone to share their experiences, thoughts and realisations, focusing on how it impacts your work. Past Circle members have described how such sessions have made them see challenges in a new light making them easier to overcome.
I have coached groups since 2013 (in corporate and non profits) creating safe and empowering spaces where members can open up and inspire each other. You'll stay friends beyond the 8 sessions as the Speak Up Academy platform helps you stay in touch as a group.
More about me
I was general counsel in an oil and gas company, and understand the pressures of a corporate compliance role: delivering while balancing the demands of multiple stakeholders (up, below, sideways and external...!) and raising a family!
I am a trained coach and facilitator and even bring my playwriting skills to the fore as I weave together real stories to drive the message of ethics, integrity and the impact of violations. If you've ever attended my training, you'd have enjoyed showing off your acting skills! An ex boss once remarked, how is it people enjoy your Ethics Talks so much?
I was called to the Malaysian Bar in 1994, practiced law for 9 years, and then joined the oil and gas industry with Schlumberger and as general counsel with Carigali Hess (a Petronas-Hess joint venture). I was a committee member of the Kuala Lumpur Bar and chair of the KL Bar Environmental Law Committee (2002/3)
I currently live in London where I founded Speak Up At Work and co-founded Speak Up Academy.
Find me on LinkedIn here.
What you get as a Circle member
By signing up for the Speak Up Circle for People in Compliance, you get:
- 8 x 90 minutes online group sessions facilitated by Animah Kosai.
- 1 individual coaching session with Animah to support you in your compliance role (valued at $250).
- Content for each theme to be viewed prior to each session
- Handouts to help you identify your work related project and keep progress with the themes each week - ensuring what you can apply what you have discovered to your role.
- Free membership of Speak Up Academy where you can join exclusive weekly Cafes, Spotlights by thought leaders and experts, and interact with the amazing diverse community (membership is $250 a year)
- Membership of a private group for your cohort within Speak Up Academy enabling you to communicate with fellow members outside the sessions.
- One 90 minute session a month for your Circle, for 10 months after you have completed your 8 sessions, as ongoing support from your Circle.
Registration will be open soon. If you're interested, e-mail me at [email protected] or
Choose Your Circle
To accommodate multiple timezones, we are running East and West Circles starting 16 February 2021 and continue every Tuesday until 6 April.
- East Circle: 8am GMT, 9am CET, 10am Cape Town, 12 noon Dubai, 1.30pm Delhi, 4pm KL/SG/HK, 7pm Sydney. Suitable for people in Asia, Australasia, Africa and Europe
- West Circle: 4pm GMT, 5pm CET, 11am EST, 8am PST. Suitable for people in Europe, Africa, North and South America
Join the East or West Circle based on the time suitable for you. This doesn't mean people in the East can't join the West Circle - if you're a night owl, of course you can! You can't change Circles part way as each circle builds trust over time.
Note summer/winter time clock changes in March which impacts the West but not Asia.
We provide private Circles too!
If you'd like me to facilitate exclusive Circles for your organisation or conduct talks similar to the Goldman Sachs-1MDB talk followed by an interactive discussion with your leaders and compliance executives, e-mail me at [email protected]
What you do is confidential and stays that way
We all come from Compliance and are well aware of confidentiality obligations. You cannot and should not discuss details of specific cases you're handling or names of real people who are problematic.
Yet these confidentiality rules make us feel very lonely... adding to stress and mental health concerns.
You can of course talk about situations or challenges you face in your role without naming anyone. We will remind everyone of Chatham House Rules at the start of each session. Our Circle sessions are a safe space and are not recorded.
Once you feel safe in the Circle, you may find yourself opening up about your personal fears. Such brave vulnerability allows breakthroughs and shifts group dynamics enabling deeper meaning to what you do. Safeguarding what each other shares is vital. It gives you a deeper appreciation of the people who report wrongdoing to you and how you should safeguard them too.
The Speak Up Academy
Behind Animah, isn't just a village, but an entire community of Speak Up Academy global thought leaders that helps enrich the dialogue - a blend of academic principles and real life challenges.
By joining the Circle, you get a 2021 membership of the Speak Up Academy which hosts weekly Cafes, Spotlights with thought leaders and Speak Up Voices for members to share their personal stories in a safe supportive space.
Imagine getting to chat directly with brave whistleblowers, experts in employee trauma, criminology and ethics, lawyers, psychologists and leaders passionate about making positive change within organisations. You come away inspired, brimming with ideas and through the circle or coaching, we can help you make it happen.
