If your users are ignoring the system, it’s not because they need more training. It’s because the system wasn’t built for them.
Most teams focus on what to add — more checks, more forms, more approvals. But real progress often comes from what you eliminate.
GRC programs tend to grow like overgrown gardens.
Each new regulation adds a new control. A past incident leads to a new checklist. A vendor assessment didn’t go well, so now there’s a whole new review form. None of it is bad in isolation. But stacked together, it becomes paralyzing.
Soon, risk and compliance work stops being strategic. It becomes a game of chasing tasks, managing busywork, and trying not to drop any balls.
The solution isn’t more structure. It’s subtraction.
Less Process, More Progress
Every organization has at least a few rituals that no one questions but no one values.
Maybe it’s a weekly risk review where nothing changes.
Maybe it’s an attestation form that everyone signs but no one reads.
Maybe it’s a control that made sense five years ago but doesn’t reflect how the business actually works today.
These processes persist because they’re “what we’ve always done.” But when teams are stretched thin, clinging to unnecessary work is a liability.
Great GRC programs make time for what matters — and they do that by ruthlessly editing out what doesn’t.
The Power of Letting Go
When you eliminate low-value steps, a few things happen:
- People take the remaining steps more seriously.
- You free up hours for the work that actually reduces risk.
- The program becomes easier to follow, manage, and improve.
A “stop doing” list isn’t just about cleaning house. It’s about creating space — space for deeper analysis, for proactive initiatives, for better conversations.
You don’t have to do everything to be effective. You just have to do the right things, consistently.
Ready to manage risk without drowning in red tape? Let’s talk:
empoweredsystems.com