Most of my career was within the Internal Audit profession. Among internal auditors, “an auditor’s mindset” is often mentioned. Or the aphorism “once an auditor, always an auditor”.
Is there a shred of truth behind these?
I think so.
It’s often about having a systematic approach to problem solving. And anyone can benefit from that. Not just internal auditors.
At the root of this is a simple and compelling question that systematic problem solvers cannot avoid. It’s part of who they are. It’s more fundamental than ‘why do we do it that way?‘ or ‘what can go wrong?’
It’s – “What are we trying to accomplish?”
This single question sets the stage. It provides context. Evaluating design and execution too soon misses the big picture.
Until you know their intended destination, it doesn’t make much sense to evaluate their selected route.
And, too often, I’ve asked this question only to find out that they aren’t entirely clear about what they’re trying to accomplish. Oh, they know what they are supposed to be doing, day-to-day. But are they focusing and continually reevaluating their strategies to best contribute to the organization and its mission? In other words, do they really know what they are strategically trying to accomplish?
I think that “what are you trying to accomplish?” is really the root of what we call ‘the auditor’s mindset’ for experienced auditors. It’s the evolved version of the universal question – “why”.
Are people born with this question embedded in their consciousness? Maybe, for some. But for most of us I think it’s developed over time as we learn to recognize and question our assumptions about, well, everything.
It’s much better than a similar, trendy question that’s often asked in a business setting – “What does success look like?” It’s less useful because it assumes too much. People often take it too literally and start thinking about metrics and deliverables. It’s a popular question with some consultants who, wrongly, focus too soon on some type of report, spreadsheet, dashboard, or other deliverable. Sure, consultants frequently get paid for deliverables. And, to be fair, they probably believe that they will be addressing the core problem. But it’s skipping over the more important question. And it’s this most fundamental question that often determines whether you’re adding value or not.
When you jump to the deliverable too soon, it’s somewhat like having a conversation where you’re not really listening to what the other person is trying to say. Instead, you’re already considering your response while they’re still talking.
So, if you want to train yourself to be a more systematic problem solver, consider ways to put this one simple question in front of you so that you see it many times a day. Build a habit of of looking at the world through the lens of one simple question.
“What are we trying to accomplish?”
If you can do that, you may be setting your life on a more satisfying trajectory.
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