Blog: We Are Here to Help Your – This Time We (Really) Mean It

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:

“We are here to help you!” That phrase seems so innocent, but those six little words are sometimes referred to as “the biggest lie of the internal audit profession.” As the old joke continues, the second biggest lie is management’s response: “We are glad you are here!”

I have written several blogs this year about how internal audit should be helping their organizations navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Surveys continue to indicate that internal audit’s support is being genuinely welcomed in a great many organizations. As management fends off the threats from the COVID-induced health and economic crises, they often welcome help from any trusted source available. Ah, but there is that word again: trust. If internal auditors haven’t been cultivating the trust showing they have been “here to help” in the past, then why should management believe them now?

Read the full InternalAuditor.org blog post from IIA President and CEO Richard Chambers.