Pros and comms: Communication in a virtual world

Social distancing and lockdowns have forced us to change how we interact and communicate with others in a personal and professional context. Video conferencing has become the norm and we have learnt how to use the technology to provide assurance and communicate effectively with our teams. Most of us have adapted rapidly, but there are common challenges.

A focused approach

One of the commonest problems is that video-led meetings exacerbate the human tendency to lose concentration and focus as the discussion progresses. This is particularly true in long meetings, or in those that involve conversations about complex information. This can happen in face-to-face meetings, but it’s easier in a video call for individuals to read e-mails, check documents or browse the internet.

Those who believe that multi-tasking is a strength should be aware that research indicates it reduces productivity and accuracy by up to 40 per cent if you switch between activities that are unfamiliar or complicated. We all multi-task to some extent, but we should recognise that it damages our interactions with others if we (or they) are not fully engaged in the conversation.

This is particularly risky for internal auditors, because we need to fully understand the nuances of the control environment. Lack of attention could mean that auditor and auditee run through the same information in repeated meetings and/or audit testing.

Auditees may also lose their focus during meetings. In my experience, lack of attention is one of the key reasons why audit recommendations are misunderstood, ignored or poorly implemented by the auditees.

To minimise distractions, it can help to start by examining your environment, especially if you are working from home. Many of the most comfortable or convenient locations for a video meeting are full of distractions. If it’s hard to change your environment, you can limit these by increasing your focus level – close down your e-mail, use headphones and ensure that you offer 100 per cent of your attention to the other participants.

Getting it right

Offering the right information at the right time and in the right quantity is vital if auditees are to engage and retain your key messages and  to understand what you want from them.

The way you structure your discussions to achieve the greatest impact is important. We all tend to remember the beginning and the end of messages, while the content in the middle is more frequently forgotten. Internal auditors should therefore consider what information they communicate at the beginning and end of meetings. For example, focusing on higher risk issues at the start, and ending with a summary of your findings can help auditees to hold on to the key points.

Also bear in mind the quantity of information shared between auditor and auditee, particularly in the short-term. There is a limit to how much data we can process and recall – for most of us, the limit is around seven items. The issue can be mitigated by providing written feedback after the discussion. But if you seek immediate action, aim to condense your discussion into seven key points.

Take a break

If you are involved in meetings or workshops that last longer than an hour, it is essential to schedule regular breaks. This is even more important if you are using video conferencing, given the amount of screen time we experience in a working day. Concentration and engagement will wane if internal auditors or auditees have back-to-back meetings, so recognise the schedules of other people in the meeting as well as your own.

As a rule of thumb, plan a five-minute screen break every one to one-and-a-half hours and request that those in the meeting do not use the break to check e-mails or use their phones – a break is not an opportunity to substitute one screen for another.

It’s also a good idea to start meetings five minutes after the hour or to conclude five minutes early. This allows a break, which is important for those going straight into another meeting.        

Remote working creates many challenges to providing assurance, but achieving the most from virtual meetings is critical. It is more vital than ever to pay careful attention to how we communicate information and  continually assess the engagement of our clients (and our own distractions). Discipline is important and, although it can be hard to schedule breaks, ignore your phone or focus on other people’s needs, you and your workload will benefit if you get into good habits and make every meeting count. n

Ben Rawal CMIIA is director and lead consultant at Aspire Consulting Solutions.

This article was published in July 2021.