I enjoy working with new auditors, in part because they so often see the world in terms of clear black-and-white issues. “Should we do an audit?” “Should we issue a finding?” “Am I maintaining a healthy degree of professional skepticism?” For many new auditors, each yes-or-no question points unerringly to a single correct answer.
With experience, our horizons expand and we start to see additional repercussions for our actions. The issue is not merely whether we should perform an audit, but whether budget is available, how extensive an audit is justified, and how soon the audit is needed. The issue is not merely whether or not to report a finding, but how significant the finding is and how strongly to word the description. …