Blog: How Smart Internal Auditors Ask Smart Questions
In his blog, IIA President and CEO Richard Chambers, CIA, QIAL, CGAP, CCSA, CRMA, shares his personal reflections and insights on the internal audit profession. Here’s an excerpt from his latest post:
The best internal auditors know that there are times when we need to “break the rules” for conducting client interviews. Few skills are more essential for internal auditors than knowing how to ask the right questions. With effective questioning skills, we can build rapport, strengthen understanding, and encourage openness. Without these skills, we can damage working relationships or overlook essential information.
Even the world’s best analytical skills are useless if we fail to uncover the information we need because of faulty questioning techniques. That’s why most internal auditors receive formal training on how to conduct internal audit interviews. Training is essential because it can provide important rules regarding how to interview people.
But the very best internal auditors also know that there are times when we need to “break the rules” for conducting client interviews. You may have heard that internal auditors should strive to ask open-ended questions to keep conversations going and to gain additional insights. You may have heard that it’s a good idea to start audit interviews on a light note, seeking agreement and keeping the tone positive. In general, these rules provide excellent advice. But in certain situations, following those rules can do more harm than good.
Read the full InternalAuditor.org blog post from IIA President and CEO Richard Chambers.
