Most organizations don’t have a shortage of controls. They have too many, and no one can make sense of them.
There’s the original list from five years ago. The additions that came after the last audit. The ones someone added just in case. And the duplicates that sound slightly different but do the exact same thing.
You ask someone, “What’s this control actually do?” and they pause. Then they say, “Well, I think it’s supposed to…”
That’s a problem.
Because a control that exists but isn’t understood, followed, or enforced isn’t a control at all. It’s noise.
Controls Should Be Clear, Not Just Cataloge
GRC platforms make it easy to build a control library. The hard part is making that library usable.
Too often, controls are written in abstract or legalistic language. They sound like they came out of a textbook or regulatory guide, not from a conversation about how work actually happens. This disconnect shows up when control owners don’t know what’s expected. When auditors can’t test the control consistently. When the same issue gets flagged over and over again, despite having controls “in place.”
Writing controls in a way that makes sense to the business isn’t about dumbing things down. It’s about making them effective.
If a frontline employee can’t understand what a control is supposed to do, they won’t follow it. If a new team member can’t test it without interpretation, it won’t hold up in an audit. And if the control doesn’t map to an actual risk or process, it’s just decoration.
The Difference Between a List and a System
A list of controls is not the same as a control system.
A control system is maintained. It’s reviewed. It’s integrated into how teams operate. It’s tied to risks, to owners, to testing schedules, to evidence. It evolves when processes change, and it’s designed to create confidence — not just pass inspections.
That kind of system doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when control language is written in business terms. When roles and responsibilities are defined. When duplicate or obsolete controls are removed. And when the people accountable for those controls are actually involved in shaping them.
Final Thought: If It’s Not Actionable, It’s Not a Control
A control doesn’t need to be complex to be effective. In fact, the best controls are often the simplest ones. They describe what’s being done, by whom, and why. They can be explained without a PowerPoint. And they hold up under scrutiny, not because they’re sophisticated, but because they’re clear.
So before you add another entry to your control library, ask a basic question: Will the people responsible for this actually understand what it means and how to use it?
If the answer is no, it’s not a control – it’s just clutter.
