Moving from compliance-driven privacy to a true culture of privacy is about embedding privacy into the heart of your organisation. Embracing "People-First Privacy" goes beyond simply meeting regulatory requirements; it encourages everyone to take ownership of data protection and privacy.

Understanding the current landscape

Before transforming your organisation’s approach to privacy, you need to understand where your team currently stands. This involves measuring behaviours and attitudes towards privacy. Do team members genuinely value privacy, or is it just another checkbox on their list?

Look at how employees handle data in real situations, rather than only checking compliance with rules. Privacy culture starts with each person’s understanding of why privacy matters and how their actions can contribute to or detract from a privacy-first approach. Without this foundation, privacy is at risk of being seen as a mere compliance task, rather than a shared organisational value.

Measuring behaviours and attitudes

Begin by assessing your team’s current perspective on privacy. This might involve surveys, assessments, or even informal discussions to gauge:

• Compliance mindset: Do employees see privacy as a task to be checked off or as something more integral to their roles?
• Behaviour patterns: How do they manage data in day-to-day operations? Are they taking precautions with sensitive information?
• Attitudinal barriers: Are there misconceptions or a sense of resistance when it comes to privacy?

Understanding these elements helps you identify gaps between a compliance-driven approach and a true privacy culture. It also provides valuable insight into areas where your team may need additional support or training.

Identifying gaps and risks

Once you have a clearer picture of your team’s privacy attitudes and behaviours, you can pinpoint specific areas where improvement is needed. For example:

• Training needs: Does your team need more knowledge on secure data practices?
• Attitude shifts: Are employees aware of privacy’s importance beyond regulations?
• Behavioural risks: Are there practices that could lead to data breaches or other privacy issues?

Recognising these gaps allows you to proactively address issues that could otherwise undermine your privacy culture. Targeted interventions can help bridge these gaps, shifting privacy from a compliance requirement to a valued organisational priority.

Tailoring training and initiatives

Customised training can help employees move from merely complying with privacy rules to genuinely valuing and prioritising privacy. When training is tailored to your team’s specific needs, it’s far more effective in promoting lasting change.

Here are some methods for effective training:

• Focus on values: Emphasise why privacy is important for both the organisation and each team member. Shift the focus from compliance to the real-world benefits of strong privacy practices.
• Interactive sessions: Engaging employees with real-life scenarios, role-playing, or discussions helps make privacy feel more relevant to their roles.
• Empower decision-making: Equip employees with knowledge to make informed choices about data handling, encouraging them to think critically about privacy in their daily work.

When employees understand the “why” behind privacy requirements, they’re more likely to take personal ownership, which is essential to a true privacy culture.

Benchmarking and tracking progress

Regular benchmarking enables you to see where improvements are happening and where further effort is needed. After rolling out training, assess behaviours and attitudes again to measure impact and monitor progress.

Some useful metrics to track include:

• Culture surveys: Gauge any shifts in team attitudes toward privacy. Are employees seeing privacy as integral to their role?
• Behavioural observations: Check whether practices are aligning more closely with a culture of privacy, such as reduced instances of risky data handling.
• Risk trend analysis: Observe if there’s a reduction in privacy risks or incidents as awareness and commitment grow.

By setting initial benchmarks and re-measuring over time, you’re able to track the growth of your privacy culture, make data-driven adjustments, and celebrate successes along the way.

Making privacy everyone’s responsibility

Building a privacy culture is not just about training; it’s about ensuring that every employee feels responsible for protecting data. Here are some ways to make privacy a shared organisational value:

• Leadership support: Leaders should model privacy-focused behaviours, reinforcing privacy as a priority.
• Open communication: Encourage questions and discussions around privacy challenges, normalising privacy as part of everyday work.
• Recognition programmes: Acknowledge and reward employees who demonstrate strong privacy practices, creating role models within your organisation.

Promoting privacy as a collective responsibility helps build a culture where data protection is prioritised naturally in everyone’s work, rather than as a task imposed from the top down.

Understanding the psychology

Recognising that employees’ behaviours are influenced by their beliefs and perceptions is essential to creating a privacy culture. While it’s not necessary to delve deeply into psychology, acknowledging that privacy habits are shaped by how people view their roles and responsibilities can help guide your approach.

Employees are more likely to adopt privacy practices when they see the value in them. When privacy isn’t just “for compliance” but something that aligns with personal values and beliefs, they’re more motivated to engage.

Benefits of a privacy culture

Creating a privacy culture doesn’t only protect data; it has broader organisational benefits:

• Proactive risk management: Employees identify and address privacy risks before they become issues.
• Increased trust: A privacy-centric culture fosters trust with customers and partners who see your commitment to data protection.
• Employee engagement: When privacy is a shared responsibility, team cohesion and morale benefit as well.

Conclusion

Transitioning from compliance to a culture of privacy takes commitment and focus, but the rewards are worth the effort. By prioritising behaviours and attitudes, identifying gaps, and tailoring training, you can make privacy a natural part of your organisation’s DNA.

With "People-First Privacy," privacy becomes a shared responsibility, benefiting both your team and your organisation. Investing in this approach strengthens your data protection practices, creating a secure and trusted environment for everyone.