text: 9
  ACI NEWS
  More than a year after the Federal
  Government held its International Anti-
  Corruption Day forum at old Parliament
  House it has still to finalise a national anti-
  corruption plan.
  ACI Managing Director, Martin Tolar
  said in spite of the Commonwealth Attor ney
  General's Department holding two public
  forums on the subject and seeking consultation
  on the draftplan; along with a proposal to
  remove the use of facilitation payments
  as a legitimate business practice from the
  Commonwealth Criminal Code, Australia
  remains no closer to resolving how best to deal
  with corruption.
  "Consequently Australia now lags behind
  the UK and the US, both of which have
  recently enacted new legislation a nd issued
  new guidance in this area," he said. "At
  a time when serious questions are being
  asked of the Governor of the Reserve
  Bank about the role the RBA played in the
  Securency case, along with three former
  NSW Ministers having appeared before an
  ICAC inquiry into alleged corrupt practices,
  you would think the Gillard government and
  the Attorney General would make this issue a
  high priority.
  "Members have told us on many occasions
  that due to the lack of clear guidance on this
  issue by the Australian Government it has had
  to rely upon guidance materials issued by the
  UK and US authorities when entering into
  new international markets.,"Tolar said. A plan
  needed to be established that not only ensured
  Australia met its commitments but also
  provided regulatory certainty in an effective
  manner for Australia's business community.
  Government needs hurry-up
  on anti-corruption plan
  There is little doubt
  Clare Mann's cover
  of her latest book
  Com municate, How
  to Say What Needs
  to be Said, When it
  Needs to be Said and
  How it Needs to be
  Said, is designed to titillate.
  It invites the reader to be hea rd, whether
  in the boardroom or the bedroom (and
  everywhere in between).
  If you are looking for a guide to effective
  pillow talk though this might not be for you
  -- but perhaps it is.
  For GRC professionals the need to engage
  those at the top or organisations and assist
  them with leading change is vital. These
  skills of persuasion and communication
  can be difficult to master, especially in a
  relationship of imbalanced power.
  Mann, an organisational psychologist
  takes us on a journey in and out of the
  boardroom to unlock the key to "calm
  communication" -- what she describes as the
  "Rolls-Royce of listening".
  This, says Mann, goes well beyond just
  talking and listening and is essential for
  unlocking effective leadership.
  "It's about how the quality of our
  communication affects the quality of our
  results," she says.
  The idea for the sub-title came from
  Mann inter viewing 23 senior executives
  as part of her research and a further
  50 through corporate coaching. She
  found that some of the cou ntr y's leading
  executives could clearly and effectively
  relate in their job but on the home front,
  la mented how their com munication skills
  were sadly lacking when it came to their
  spouse, partner or children.
  It depends, says Mann, on a person's
  ability to galvanise thoughts, find
  appropriate vocabulary and adapt it to suit
  the audience.
  To order a copy of the book ($49.95), go to
  w ww.communicate31.com
  Mann: Calm communication key to making sense
  and mastering our interactions
  ACI's strategic initiatives to grow
  membership and activities across
  Australia, New Zealand and Asia
  continued throughout the year as did
  membership growth in non-financial
  services sectors, as the 2011/2012
  ACI annual report outlines.
  There were 421 new member s
  during the financial year and churn
  was low during the renewal period.
  ACI managing director
  Martin Tolar said the
  organisation continued to look
  for opportunities to expand the
  international membership base
  so as to build a stronger global
  network of like -minded people.
  For more highlights and financial
  results, please visit ACI's website
  www.acigrc.com and follow the
  link under 'About ACI'.
  You must first log in to your
  membership.
  ACI annual
  report online
  BY DE NISE MCNABB