September 2018

September 24, 2018

When the Wheels Come Off an Internal Audit, the Culprit Is Usually Poor Planning

In my role as president and CEO of The IIA, I meet and converse with internal auditors around the world. It’s gratifying to hear abou​t their successes, and important to learn about their challenges. In this week’s blog post, I want to share with you some of the things I’ve heard when internal audits go bad. My hope is that, by talking about our mistakes, we can correct our course and prevent future problems. 

In general, most issues that arise when the wheels come off during internal audits stem from a single root cause: inadequate engagement planning. It can be tempting to cut engagement planning short, especially when we’re still trying to wrap up the last audit.…

September 17, 2018

Is There Too Much Civility in the Boardroom?

Let’s face it, civility is in short supply in the 21st ​century. Whether in politics, social media, on the highway, or in line at a fast-food restaurant, common courtesy and respect are scarce commodities. One place that civility seems to be alive and well is in the boardroom. However, one has to ask: Is there too much civility in a place where members should bring a healthy dose of skepticism?

Common wisdom is that inspirational leadership is synonymous with great success. Many of the world’s most successful companies are associated with iconic leaders such as Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Jack Ma, and others.…

September 10, 2018

Writing an Impactful Audit Report: 6 Tips for Being More Persuasive

If you ask internal auditors why they write audit reports, some might answer that it’s to communicate an engagement’s objectives, scope, and results. Others might offer that it’s to describe what the auditors found and to make recommendations for improvement. But the ultimate objective of internal audit reporting is not to describe what we found or to make recommendations for improvement. It is to persuade readers to take action.

Impact is imperative, but not all internal auditors realize the difference that writing style can make to ensure corrective action is complete and timely. The content of a report informs readers, but I would argue that writing style is what motivates.…

September 3, 2018

​​​​Research: IIA Membership a “Powerful Catalyst for Change”

One of the fundamental goals for any professional organization is to recruit members. Often, practitioners who are busy building and advancing their careers fail to recognize the benefits offered by organizations such as The IIA.

For more than 25 years, I have believed the benefits The IIA offers are plentiful, clear, and essential. As a chief audit executive (CAE) struggling to manage the complex internal audit operations of the U.S. Army in the early 1990s, I discovered the vast resources of The IIA. In the years that passed, regardless of the audit organizations I led, I always maintained a tight connection with The IIA.…