Communicate Effectively to Implement Compliance Programs

Naples, FL resident Kara Down is an experienced project manager in the financial industry. Having been part of Wells Fargo’s implementation team, Kara Down of Naples, FL, worked to ensure regulatory compliance of the firm’s business units. 

The financial world has seen an increase in regulation since the last financial crisis, precipitating a change in how industries deal with compliance. More banks are implementing compliance programs and requiring ongoing compliance updates. However, compliance programs are only good if they are implemented successfully. The key is effective communication. 

A successful compliance program must first be communicated to its end user - employees. Compliance officers must consider the organizational staff and include them in implementing the compliance program. A good strategy is to bring employees together, highlight the regulatory environment necessitating compliance, discuss some of the existing regulations, and identify the internal procedures and practices that fall within the applicable regulations. At this point, the new compliance measures can be introduced.

Compliance officers should reinforce the compliance measures by including them in the organization’s internal policies and important documentation. Afterward, staff should be trained on effective implementation of new compliance practices. Regular evaluations to find out how implementation is faring and doubling down on high risk areas should also take place. The goal is to make compliance an integral part of the organization’s culture.

The Team Leader as a Facilitator

A resident of Naples, FL, Kara Down is a principal consultant with NTT Data. Previously, Kara Down of Naples, FL, was an implementation consultant with Wells Fargo where she led various teams in the completion of strategic projects. 

Leading organizational teams takes significant effort and commitment. While there are many hats a team leader must put on, facilitation is one of the most important. It starts with fostering unity among members. A team leader must bring people together, set a goal for everyone to work toward, and establish the individual roles each must play. He or she must align everyone to a single goal and then guide them to achieve it. 

Team leaders should also go out of their way to break the ice among members. They can initiate activities that bring people together such as celebrating birthdays or having bonding sessions outside work. These are all great as long as personal boundaries are established and maintained.

Once everyone is comfortable around each other, the leader should provide motivation and mentorship to team members. He or she should also encourage members to support each other. All of his or her efforts should be aligned toward meeting the group’s goal. In addition, the team leader should create a supportive environment for team members to work together peacefully, removing roadblocks that could hinder progress. In the end, facilitation is also about guiding everyone along the journey and creating an appropriate environment for good performance.

Health Benefits for Runners

Kara Down, a consultant with NTT Data in Naples, FL, enjoys staying physically fit and active during her free time. Kara Down's preferred mode of exercise, running, promotes cardiovascular health and overall wellness.

Runners earn a wide range of health benefits that the sedentary, and even some other athletes, do not. Running promotes overall health by boosting the immune system, reducing the formation of dangerous blood clots, and building lung function. Runners also face a lower risk of certain cancers, and can stave off other negative health conditions, such as diabetes, osteoporosis, and blood pressure problems.

Those who want to lose weight, or maintain a consistent weight, also benefit strongly from running. It requires little equipment and burns considerable extra calories, with only cross-country skiing beating it in raw calories-per-minute eliminated.

Running also has some mental benefits. Those who run regularly often experience improved self-esteem and a sense of empowerment. They also have reduced stress, which can make tension headaches less frequent and improve sleep.

The Orangetheory Fitness Workout

Experienced in project management and consulting, Kara Down serves as principal consultant at NTT Data in Naples, FL. Outside of her work in consulting, Kara Down has modeled for a number of companies, including Orangetheory Fitness.

Orangetheory Fitness takes participants through an intense one-hour workout that keeps them burning calories for up to 36 hours after the workout through a process known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). The workout maintains participants’ heart rate within a target range to help boost metabolism and increase energy levels.

Orangetheory Fitness centers include high-quality equipment, and all studios have 12 treadmills, 12 suspension unit systems, and 12 rowing machines, as well as benches and free weights. Participants benefit from the encouragement of others during a group workout led by a motivating Orangetheory personal fitness coach. The workout meets the needs of individuals of all fitness levels and helps participants burn 500 to 1,000 calories each session, including the afterburn.

Project Management Mistakes to Avoid

For more than a decade, Kara Down of Naples, FL, has worked in the financial services industry as a project and change manager. The principal consultant for NTT Data in Naples, FL, Kara Down has extensive experience in increasing productivity among her teams and meeting regulatory mandates.

Below are several common project management mistakes to avoid:

Not setting goals immediately
At the beginning of every project, managers should meet with their entire project team and make sure members fully understand their responsibilities and roles. This kickoff meeting is also a great time for managers to set expectations and goals for their team. By doing so, managers help their team become more self-sufficient.

Not communicating enough
Good communication between the client and team is essential for good project management. Not only does it keep project managers more engaged with their team, it keeps clients in the loop. Since communication is so important, managers should promote open communication among their team members and set out simple communication strategies.

Incorrectly assessing risks
Every project faces potential risks capable of increasing project costs or delaying completion. Ignoring or underestimating these risks is extremely dangerous to a project plan. However, so is overestimating these risks. Project managers must be careful how they assess and prepare for risks to ensure they create an accurate project schedule.

A Look at Orangetheory Fitness

A successful project manager and consultant with over a decade of combined experience in the financial and information technology industries, Kara Down serves as a principal consultant for NTT Data in Naples, FL. Having managed various best practices initiatives that improved productivity, knowledge transfer, and regulatory compliance, Kara Down’s two significant responsibilities fall on implementing business processes and facilitating change management at the NTT Data Services office in Naples, FL. Outside of her professional pursuits, Kara Down enjoys traveling, going to the beach, running, and modeling for popular resorts and spas in Florida. She combines her passion for fitness and modeling by working out with Orangetheory Fitness.

A global franchise with over 900 studios, Orangetheory Fitness differentiates itself by using heart-rate-based training supported by the science of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). Often referred to as "afterburn," EPOC is the result of an intensive 60-minute workout that aims to improve metabolism, increase energy, tone muscles, and burn calories for up to 36 hours. Fitness goals are determined individually depending on the person's heart rate number measured against age, weight, stamina, and other health-related factors.

Through the design of the workout programs, the focus shifts from a standardized routine to a personal regimen that encourages a community providing support and motivation from the coaches, staff, and members of Orangetheory Fitness.