Author: Charles Schrock
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Executive Buy-in
Is executive buy-in a good idea? Maybe not as much as we might think. Here’s a common scenario. I have fallen in love with a great idea that will help the organization. It can have fundamental and strategic benefits. But to make it happen, I’ll need others to cooperate. Maybe with a budget. Or, maybe,… Read more
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Terminology – KPI and KRI
From time to time, I write about business concepts that seem fuzzy to me. Or perhaps not all that useful. This one is about risk management terminology. It’s not aimed at the risk professional. It’s for the rest of us who need to incorporate some of that terminology in ways that are useful and practical.… Read more
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Prior Newsletters
May 16, 2025 Years ago I developed SPCS. Or, maybe I just finally discovered something that everyone else already knew. At the time, I was trying to get to the essence of why some ideas were more worthy than others. Or, maybe, why some solutions were better than others. Over a few weeks, four words… Read more
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Habits, Routines, and Discipline
A lot of productivity books and articles talk about the value of developing good habits. They are key (I’m told) to success. And I mostly agree. I’m also told that discipline is really important. And, of course, having solid routines fits in there somewhere. Habits. Discipline. Routines. These terms were all mashed up in my… Read more
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Adding value at Level 4 makes you essential
When you’re an internal auditor and you’re adding value at Level 4, you have become essential. That’s the highest of the four levels of value-add. Read more
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Influence is Level 3 in adding value
If you’re an internal auditor, hoping to make your mark in the world, then the word you need to focus on is — influence. Read more
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Trustworthy – that’s Level 2 in adding value
If you’re an internal auditor and you want to make a real difference, then being rated as ‘meets job description’ Isn’t good enough. You need to add value beyond Level 1. Read more
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Meeting Expectations is Level 1 in adding value
If you’re an auditor and you’re wondering how to take greater ownership of your career, here’s some advice. Find out what your boss needs. Read more
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Why become an internal auditor
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿? The primary reason 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 an internal auditor is to have an unusually large influence on your organization. After, say, five years of experience you’ll have a level of influence that might take twenty-five years in any other career path. But the primary reason 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 an internal auditor… Read more
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Systematic Problem Solving
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.… Read more