December 2011

It is hard to believe that another year is coming to a close and we are preparing to ring in 2012! 

I always find this time of year to be a great period for reflection. I hope you will indulge me as I contemplate what 2011 has meant for The IIA. In many ways, 2011 was a year of new initiatives and new heights for The Institute, globally. We entered the year with a myriad of new ideas, but with resource limitations that threatened to constrain our abilities. Thanks to the extraordinary hard work of many, and a series of fortunate events, we are now looking at a year in which we will have posted record financial performance and record membership results worldwide. We…

If you have been in internal auditing for a few years, you’ve probably seen it happen. When you start your entrance conference, everything is going smoothly. You’ve prepared carefully for the meeting, and yo​u have cordial relationships with your audit clients. Suddenly, however, your clients are frowning, and communications seem to have become a one-way street. It’s almost as if a door had closed. Management’s arms are crossed defensively, and they no longer seem to want to agree with anything you say. At times, you might not even be aware of why the change took place — you only know that the chance for open communications and sharing of ideas seems to be fading away.…