In an audit relationship a two-way street of
Conversations among practitioners often consist of complaining about how auditors are taking up more and more of their time. Auditors often commiserate with each other concerning the challenges of dealing with people who only see them as hindering their productivity. The corporate world may just be a better place if both auditors and practitioners took more time to consider the value in fostering mutually beneficial relationships.
An initial step in the process of recognizing how to be a partner in a audit relationship is to put yourself in the other person's shoes.
From the practitioner’s perspective, this may consist of:
- Recognizing the increasing demands of the
auditor ’s time, considering the source and purpose of their questions - Sympathizing with the fact that auditors are often forced to work with people who do not exactly “welcome them with open arms”
From the auditor’s perspective this may entail:
- Recognizing that people of whom you ask questions or require explanations have “day jobs” to get done. That being the case, practitioners expect respect for their time.
How does an auditor convey adequate respect for the time of the party who is the subject of the audit? This entails an auditor taking the time to understand why he or she is asking a question, conveying exactly what is expected of a practitioner when seeking an answer to a question, and doing some due diligence to ensure that a question or issue has not already been addressed by this person or one of his colleagues.
Another valuable audit relationship tool relates to the very nature of meetings between practitioners and auditors. If specific meetings goals are set then both parties know how to define meeting success and goodwill among parties will ensue. On a more macro scale, it is very frustrating on both sides to deal with recurring issues. Issues that are identified, addressed, and retired will instill respect among all parties in a relationship so do not "rehash" the same issues quarter after quarter or year after year if issues has been previously resolved..
It is also good practice to draw tactics from successful personal relationships and apply these skills in managing audit relationships. I have found that many conflicts arise from the divergence between perception and reality. In a successful personal relationship, it is common to "raise a red flag" when you perceive an issue and "nip an issue in the bud", while on a professional level it is more common to let a perceived issue “fester” and take on a life of its own. Taking the time to confirm the actual existence of an issue when it arises can avoid unnecessary conflict and keep issues from getting blown out of proportion. Another relationship tactic that can be of significant value is to be aware of how you "deliver a message". If you need to convey a concern from the auditor’s side, doing so in a non-accusatory tone or non-insinuating manner that you caught someone intentionally doing something wrong is crucial in facilitating cooperation from a corporate partner in addressing issues.
Successful professional relationships often develop when there is a two way learning street between two parties. In an audit relationship a practitioner can seek knowledge from an auditor in terms of
You may just help make the corporate world a better place if you make the effort to collaborate more effectively during the audit process. .