My computer is full of half-finished blog posts and white papers. Every time I look at them, they stare back at me - mute witnesses to my indecisiveness and procrastination. The path that leads a nascent idea into the purgatory of my “working papers” folder is familiar: it begins with a conversation with colleagues or clients about an emerging ethics, compliance, or corporate responsibility topic, and a recognition that nothing good has been written about it lately. It then leads to research and reading on the topic. An outline follows, then a draft. Then, something else comes up. Or I decide the draft isn’t ready. The specific reason why my writing project gets abandoned doesn’t matter, so much as that I never seem to find the time to revisit and complete it. I focus on other priorities. Ironically, sometimes it’s another writing project that sometimes lands in the “working papers” folder.

The beginning of the year is the time for resolutions, and mine is to finish these writing projects I start. I’ll start working on it right after I finish this blog post!

The reason I’m airing this personal failing is because it might sound familiar to you, too. One of the most common things I hear among ethics officers, when asked about policy gaps, is that they recognize this gap, and often have even begun the preliminary work to fill it, but somehow they never found the time to finish the process. Believe me, I understand. But the gap remains. The unmitigated risk remains.

Why don’t you join me with your own resolution? We know there are emerging ethics, compliance and corporate responsibility issues that could affect our organizations. We know having a policy in place is a great first step for risk management since it gives employees and agents guidance on doing the right thing. It also leads to further actions, such as training and communication about the policy, as well as offering resources for addressing violations. In short, it’s the first step in managing risks.

And if you can’t think of any current policy gaps, take a look at our predictions for 2010. You might find something you need to address.