Author: Charles Schrock

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

We so often discuss and disagree about misunderstood examples, rather than central ideas.  For example, someone says to her friend that it’s a shame that few cars are made today with manual transmissions. Only a handful of sportscars have them. Her friend responds that she disagrees – sports cars can be very dangerous in the hands… Read more

Great team leaders create a simple governance environment that embodies the rules and practices which define the team’s performance culture.  The simpler and clearer these rules and practices, the stronger the performance culture’s foundation.  Clear terminology that’s consistently used can solidify the team by creating an insider’s sense of belonging.  Here’s today’s consideration.  Are KPIs and Key Results the… Read more

Consultants – if you want to sell a solution to internal auditors, don’t couch it as ‘best practices’. Serious and respected internal auditors deal in well-grounded recommendations. Their recommendations address a deficiency or opportunity that actually matters to management. And their proposed solutions are usually simple, practical, complete, and sustainable so that management can take… Read more

We’ve all seen this advice. And it disturbs me when people use it to justify something shady. Here’s what it’s not … It’s not a (wink-wink) justification to fraudulently claim some skill, or some authority, even though you don’t really have it. Sure, you want it. You plan on having it someday. And, the justification… Read more

If you’re trying to build an effective governance culture, it’s important that everyone knows what these words mean … and how they work in your culture. These ideas are often mashed together in ways that are real head-scratchers. And, to say it up front, I’m talking about ‘common usage’ for these terms. If they exist… Read more

I am mostly interested in personal and team productivity and effectiveness. Too many people try to make this complicated when it’s far better to keep it simple. For example … Mission, Vision, Purpose, Strategies, Tactics, Initiatives, Executions, Objectives, Goals, Targets, Metrics, KPIs, Results and so on. Lots of terminology for related (and sometimes the same)… Read more

I tend to think about things that catch my eye. Today it’s the difference between Prioritizing and Focusing. This started with something I read in the book ‘The Laws of Subtraction’ by Matthew E. May. The author had interviewed John Maeda who, in turn, shared his thoughts about priority and focus. I often use these… Read more