Positive steps: If you ask one question this week, make it this one
Q: What are my strengths and my weaknesses – and where do I go from here?
A: Should you be asking more of your data analytics software? Do you make excuses to avoid Zoom or Teams? Is your understanding of cyber crime more ladybird than encyclopaedic? Have you ever discussed diversity with someone who is transgender or who has a disability? Do you have an interest that you’d like to develop, but have kept it quiet? When did you last discuss your capabilities with the chair of the audit committee?
It is our skills and experiences that open up new horizons, so it’s important to be confident about what we are competent to do – and clear on what we could do better.
Internal auditors’ knowledge can cross the whole organisation. It may seem a curse (there’s a lot to keep on top of), but good audit skills and experience are valuable in lots of other roles, from risk management to departmental leadership. Historically, however, internal audit has hidden its light. Auditors themselves are often unaware of what they can offer and this can lead to their skills and knowledge being underappreciated by others.
This is critical when you look for a new job. At a time when many companies are reducing headcounts or looking to get more from fewer people, stand back and review your own performance. Highlight your strengths, but be honest about what additional expertise could boost your options, whether this is technology or “soft” skills. Even if you’re not planning to move, it could help you improve your personal profile and sell the work of internal audit to senior management.
Your qualifications and job title describe your role and status, but you need to dig deeper to ask what skills and talents you have. You could ask a manager or peers for (constructive) input. Their answers may surprise you – other people spot talents that you take for granted. Similarly, colleagues may suggest a career avenue or way to develop skills that you have not considered.
Talk to your HR department. If an accountant goes to HR and asks what opportunities are available, HR knows to point them towards a finance role and values them accordingly, but they are not always so clear about where an internal auditor’s skills would fit. Developing closer ties with HR could pay dividends – and if HR doesn’t appreciate what internal audit does, you could offer to host a workshop or short introduction.
Once you identify areas for development, think widely about your options – and rope in friends and family. Look at courses, conferences and mentoring, but consider whether others could benefit if you pooled your learning or set up a group. Use the institute’s resources and networks. Auditors are good at objective analysis and articulating what you want makes it a whole lot easier to achieve it.
Become more self-aware, re-focus your personal development and enhance your profile. It’s always important to be self-aware, but perhaps now more than ever.