By Susan Gorveatte

Introducing the Softer Side of Audits

What do you think about when you hear an auditor is coming on site to perform an audit? Do you have visions of Darth Vader storming down a long corridor of the Death Star while John Williams’ “Imperial March” plays in your head? Maybe you know an auditor who is the opposite of Darth Vader and whitewashes everything. This kind of auditor barely skims the surface as they fly over your organization, “rubber-stamping” the management system.

No, no, no! Darth Vaders and rubber-stampers are the two extremes; it doesn’t have to be that way. As auditors we need to be better than the Darth Vaders and rubber-stampers and maybe find a happy balance between both extremes. If you want to provide audits that are valueadded and supply guidance to your leadership team, you need to learn how to “audit like a leader.” That means understanding the principles of auditing, demonstrating the traits of a successful auditor, managing communication, and being a leader of a team.

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