Author: Charles Schrock
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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
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It’s hard to have a meaningful discussion
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
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KPI versus Key Results
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
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I don’t believe in best practices
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
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Fake it ’til you make it
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
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Responsibility, Commitment, and Accountability
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
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Mission … Vision … and other stuff
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
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Prioritize your focus
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