– The quick intro
I’m Charles David Schrock
But people call me “Bud”. Seriously.
In my mid-20s, I had the good fortune to become a Chief Audit Executive.
I was the youngest, the least experienced, and certainly the least important member of a high-performing leadership team. It was a great opportunity to see how these leaders kept us all focused on the right things and moving in the right direction. They created an environment where all of us could contribute to the extent of our abilities. It was all so simple. And stress-free.
Unfortunately,
I also worked with some leaders who, while smart and conscientious, inexplicably took faulty steps when the right step – what they should have done – seemed obvious to me. And yet, they couldn’t see it. That’s frustrating. Unique opportunities don’t come along that often.
Looking back,
I was an internal auditor for most of my career. Which means that I paid attention to the things going on around me.
And I was a member of some high-performing teams. Which means that there were good lessons to learn.
Both roles provided opportunities to have a big impact. And, for me, that mattered.
Later in my career, I also learned that opportunities to do amazing things are rare. You have to recognize them when they come along.
What really drives me is that I really don’t like when I, or anyone, fails to seize opportunities.
Here’s the first wasted opportunity that troubles me.
Internal Auditors often fail to make a strategic impact.
unfortunately, that’s a common story.
The basic issue is …
Many internal auditors are fundamentally focused on being great internal auditors. That’s okay. But first, even before being a great auditor you must figure out how to add value because that’s how anyone, including an internal auditor, makes an impact.
I am going to help fix that with The Essential Auditor™️.
The Essential Auditor ™
This new project helps internal auditors become essential members of their leadership teams.
It’s a simple idea – if an internal auditor wants to make an impact, they need a seat at the table.
And they only get invited if they add value.
TEA™ shows internal auditors how to make that happen. For any auditor. At any level.
And Here’s the second wasted opportunity.
Team leaders often fail to build a foundation for success.
unfortunately, most organizations don’t automatically provide that foundation.
The basic issue is …
Team leaders are often focused on clear, urgent goals. Understandably. But when you recognize that team leaders are evaluated over the long term, the need for a strong performance culture becomes apparent. It’s the same for any team, any size, any setting. If you want to build an enviable team – or a career – this is your catalyst.
The good news is anyone can easily create a performance culture for their team and reap the benefits. All you need are a few basic tools. And the right mindset.
And I’m providing those through The Responsibility Matrix™️.
The Responsibility Matrix ™
TRM™ is about building long-term, high-performing teams.
First, it is a simple, practical, complete, and sustainable framework that executives and team leaders use to design and embed a highly-effective performance culture.
And internal auditors use it to help these leaders know what’s working well. And what isn’t.
In addition to those two major projects …
I post about ideas that interest me. Many are observations from my reading and research about productivity and effectiveness. Others are from the lessons I learned while working alongside some outstanding leaders. I think they are useful ideas; they fundamentally shape The Essential Auditor and The Responsibility Matrix.
— Plus
There’s still the old stuff, too.
I continue to post about basic internal audit concepts. Admittedly, these are occasionally controversial. And sometimes funny. I tackle these through an old friend — The Audit Explainer™.
And, of course, my older posts (on various topics that seemed important to me at the time) are still available. Check out my archive if you wish.
