Auditing: Common communication mistakes and how to fix them
Highlighting the importance of effective communication for auditors, addressing common pitfalls, and offering smart solutions to improve audit outcomes.
When it comes to misunderstandings with:
your partner or spouse,
your friends,
your boss,
your work colleagues,
a high percentage is often due to poor or insufficient communication.
Why?
Because communication is crucial for many reasons, including but not limited to:
Avoiding misunderstandings,
Improving performance and productivity,
Strengthening relationships,
Increasing confidence,
Reducing conflicts,
Enhancing the sharing of knowledge and ideas.
In organizations, the situation is no different.
And for auditors, the focus of this article, communication is one of the key competencies needed to convey expectations, observations, and findings clearly and confidently, while avoiding ambiguity, among other challenges.
Good auditor communication is essential for informing, questioning, clarifying, challenging, and confirming. When communication breaks down, it’s not just the audit timeline that is at risk, but also the integrity of the findings and the trust between the auditor and the auditee.
I have touched on communication before when discussing the audit process, key aspects of starting an audit, and the fundamentals of audit work documents and reporting.
However, in today’s article, I want to focus specifically on:
Common communication pitfalls during audits, and
Solutions through Smart Communication.
This is part of the fortnightly six-part mini-series, where I cover:
Part 1: The Audit, the role and the competencies of the Auditor
Part 2: The Key Stages of the Audit Process and Typical Audit Activities
Part 4: My Fundamentals of Audit Work Documents and Reporting
Part 5: Communication and Auditing – The Biggest Challenge
Part 6: My Key Takeaways
Let’s dive in! 🤿
Common communication pitfalls during audits
At its core, an audit is not just a checklist of controls or a deep dive into documentation , it is a relationship.
From the initial engagement letter to the final report, misalignment in expectations, terminology, or timing can undermine even the most well-planned audit process.
Based on my experience as both an auditor and an auditee, these are the most common communication pitfalls I have identified:
Jargon Overload: Using technical terms that are unfamiliar or unclear to non-audit personnel, causing confusion.
Lack of Context: Presenting findings without sufficient context can make them seem overly critical or misleading. Explaining why something matters is just as important as explaining what was found.
One-Way Dialogue: When audits feel like interrogations rather than collaborations, openness diminishes and crucial insights may be withheld.
Delayed Feedback: Waiting until the closing meeting to address issues prevents opportunities for course correction during the audit.
Solutions Through Smart Communication
To overcome these barriers, I emphasize the importance of auditors developing emotional intelligence.
This means:
Setting Expectations Early: Clearly outline the audit scope, process, and timelines. Engage in pre-audit discussions to address concerns before fieldwork begins.
Using Plain Language: Translate complex standards into business-relevant language. Tailor your communication to your audience.
Building Rapport: Foster a culture of collaboration. Position the audit as a partnership rather than a policing exercise.
Providing Real-Time Updates: Keep lines of communication open throughout the audit. Raise preliminary findings early to allow for dialogue and clarification.
Listening Actively: Be genuinely open to feedback. The auditee’s perspective often adds crucial context that the data alone cannot reveal.
Ultimately, auditing is a people-centered process.
Auditors who listen more than they speak, and who communicate with clarity, empathy, and transparency, elevate the audit from a compliance task to a strategic advantage.
That’s all for today.
In two weeks, I will share my key takeaways from this six-part mini-series.
Stay tuned! 🚀 See you next week. 👋
Disclaimer: The information provided in this newsletter and related resources is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It reflects both researched facts and my personal views. It does not constitute professional advice. Any actions taken based on the content of this newsletter are at the reader's discretion.
Thanks for reading Sky High Standards by Irene! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.