Relationships, Interpersonal Skills & Auditing: Becoming a “Trusted Advisor”
Course Description
The key to a successful business career depends upon how well you develop and maintain positive relationships. Each of us cannot accomplish our job and career goals without learning from, assisting and working well with others. The ultimate goal of a Chief Audit Executive/ Auditor is to become a “Trusted Advisor”. A Trusted Advisor is someone that others look to for counsel, advice and as a trusted confidant who will listen when times get difficult. During the training you will learn the why and how of developing relationships which should assist you in becoming a “Trusted Advisor”. Also, tips, techniques and reference materials will be provided to assist in your personal and team development.
In this training, we will discuss the following important issues:
- Relationships and the impact they have on auditor effectiveness
- How, why and when to build business relationships
- Positives and negatives of relationships
- Skills that facilitate relationship building
- Emotional Intelligence
- Different behavior or personality styles
- Overview of different behavior or personality styles
- How to use knowledge about your behavior/personality style to connect with others
- Key aspects of becoming a trusted advisor
- Changes to CAE/audit leader's "Trusted Advisor" status both positive & negative
- Important knowledge, skills & abilities to facilitate positive relationships throughout your career
- Tips, tools, techniques, approaches and lessons learned regarding relationships
Learning Objectives
- Review the reasons that make building strong relationships difficult
- Discuss why building relationships with primary stakeholders (e.g. audit committee/ board members, executive management, c-suite), management and staff are essential for success
- Understand the phases of building relationships(s)
- Learn how to build relationships that last
- Review the impact positive relationships have on performing internal audit’s role in the organization
- Identify the signs of weak and/or deteriorating relationships
- Understand the knowledge, skills & abilities necessary to facilitate relationship building
- Review methods to better understand personality or behavior types
- Share development methods to improve interpersonal skills (people skills)
- Understand the human side of internal auditing
- Provide audit tools & techniques to enable more efficient and effective audit working relationships
- Share resources/reference materials for future training and development
After completing this training, you will be able to:
- Build stronger relationships with primary stakeholders
- Understand the phases of building business relationships
- Identify weak and/or deteriorating relationships
- Demonstrate greater interpersonal skills that should result in performance of more efficient/ effective audits
- Learn the how of building and maintaining successful long-term relationships
- Perform consulting/advisory services per the IPPF that are needed by your organization
- Identify & understand the necessary traits, actions, knowledge, skills & abilities that would assist you in becoming a "Trusted Advisor"
Who Should Attend
Internal Auditors at all levels. The session focus will primarily be at the intermediate level.Prerequisites
None - all auditors will benefit from this seminar.
Level: Primarily Beginner to Intermediate |
Field: Management Advisory Services |
| CPE Credits: 16 (800 minutes) | Delivery Method: Live - Group |
Course Outline
Traits of a "Trusted Advisor"
Difficulty in building relationships that last
How, what & when of relationship building
Importance of building relationships with primary stakeholders
Phases of relationship building
Identifying primary stakeholder expectations
Communicating with primary stakeholders, business partners, clients & customers
Assurance vs. consulting/advisory services
Providing consulting/advisory services (balance of assurance & consulting/advisory services)
Independence & objectivity
Emotional Intelligence – What is it, why be concerned about you Emotional Quotient (EQ), how can you improve it & when will it help you in working with others?
Impact on internal audit’s role with positive stakeholder relationships
How to identify weak and/or deteriorating relationships
Knowledge, skills & abilities that enhance relationship building
Different types of behavior and personality styles
Human side of Internal Audit
Building your knowledge of the business/industry
Communication
Sales, influence & persuasion
Tips, tools, techniques, approaches & lessons learned about relationships
Reference materials/resources for future use
Exercises will be used to reinforce the learning objectives. Examples of potential exercise areas are:
- Becoming a "Trusted Advisor"
- Building Relationships
- Customers – Primary & Secondary
- Social Skills
- Personality Traits
- Identifying Trusted Advisors
- Assurance vs. Consulting/Advisory Engagements
- Mentoring Future Key Audit/Organization Leaders
- Persuasion & Awareness
- Trusted Advisor – Transitions/Change
- Trusted Advisor – Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- From & To Becoming a Trusted Advisor
The second day will have a greater focus on the participants identified needs related to relationship building to facilitate the opportunity for becoming a "Trusted Advisor". Also, the second day will provide a more detailed review of consulting opportunities and greater opportunities to further discuss different aspects of becoming & staying a Trusted Advisor. In addition, what options should you consider if you were a Trusted Advisor and have lost that role/status with leadership?
Contact Phil Flora for additional information or a proposal: phil@flobizllc.com