How do you deal with resistance, conflict, or disagreement from the auditees or stakeholders?

In my experience, i personally feels that dealing with resistance, conflict, or disagreement from auditees or stakeholders during an audit is quite challenging and requires effort to resolve it and bring on same and common platform. i always take few points while dealing with such situation. a. before beginning of audit lets clearly communicate audit scope, purpose and benefits with clarity on questions , concerns. this will build trust and ultimately reduce further conflicts. b. acknowledge auditee about concerns and conflicts. c. stay neutral keep communication clear and precise. d. encourage for participation e. give constructive feedback f. follow up for building relationships. this will helps avoid conflicts and resistance of auditee

Dealing with partner objections at work is not so different from sorting out problems with difficult spouses or teenage children at home. You actively listen, love, and acquiesce. My strategy at work is the same. I listen attentively to objections, ask the right questions, and finally get to the heart of stakeholder concerns. I do it calmly and professionally and do not become overly emotional or argumentative. During the negotiations, I try not to butt in, make stupid comments or judge others. I work to build up a good rapport and better trust. Once the stakeholders know I am willing to understand and have grasped their misgivings, we can start ironing out the problems and get back to aligning with the original project objectives.

Dealing with resistance, conflict, or disagreement from auditees or stakeholders requires a diplomatic approach. I suggest active listening to understand their concerns, fostering open communication, and finding common ground. Addressing their feedback and concerns professionally can help build trust and facilitate a more cooperative audit process.

Dealing with resistance, conflict, or disagreement from auditees or stakeholders during an audit requires a combination of communication, diplomacy, and problem-solving skills. Its really not easy though but usually it is manageable.

Disagreement indicates a discrepancy between auditors and auditees. Its origins are frequently found in gaps in audit objectives and procedures. Prior to reacting to aggression, seek clarification through respectful discussion. Describe how using standards protects quality and safety. Learnings should be prioritised because they will boost capabilities and dependability. Audits should be framed as opportunities rather than judgements. Listen intently before communicating openly. Disagreements are normal during fieldwork; keeping reciprocal good faith resolves them. Cultivating trust and traction around common goals converts resistance into robust involvement that yields actionable results.

Algunas ideas que pueden contribuir a generar esa buena relación durante la auditoría: - Minimiza las barreras en la comunicación. Es importante evitar alteraciones en el código de la comunicación: expresiones, palabras, gestos imprecisos e incoherencias entre el lenguaje verbal y no verbal. - Crea un buen clima para que la comunicación se produzca. - Escucha cuidadosamente y con interés a los auditados, eliminando distracciones y evitando juicios. - Da espacio al auditado y pide todas las aclaraciones que se consideren necesarias. - Adopta una actitud amable, preguntando de forma natural y mostrando interés genuino por las actividades realizadas. - Respeta el tiempo de los auditados y mantente dentro del plan de auditoría.

If a financial controller expresses concerns about the impact of audit activities on their workload, I listen actively and acknowledge their concerns. For instance, during an audit of financial reporting processes, I encountered resistance from the finance team due to their busy schedule. I responded by adjusting the audit timeline to accommodate their peak periods, demonstrating empathy and flexibility.

I've also found it useful to try to establish commonality when coming to disagreements. Often disagreements arise when perceived opinions differ whether it be direction, priority and impact on workload. By establishing that indeed our aims are of a kind it helps alleviate the emotive and refocus to become objective driven.

Navigating resistance and conflicts in quality auditing demands a delicate balance of emotional intelligence. As a seasoned quality auditor, I emphasize the significance of managing not only my own emotions but also those of auditees and stakeholders. Prior to the audit, mental and emotional preparation is key, foreseeing potential challenges. Clearly articulating realistic goals fosters a shared understanding. Crucially, maintaining composure and respecting emotions during disagreements is vital. Addressing root causes with empathy, focusing on facts, and avoiding unnecessary escalation are hallmarks of effective conflict resolution. Through these strategies, a quality auditor ensures a constructive and collaborative audit process.

I have used questions instead of statements to present the suspect non compliant event. For example, I would ask, how does the event show that we followed procedure X and Y, or is justified by the applicable standard. By using a question I give myself the benefit of finding additional information I may have overlooked and also allows me to let the audited person confirm the audit observation. If there is a misalignment with procedure and/or standard, the audited person herself will express the finding. This interaction avoids the perception that the observation is an idea coming from the auditor instead of the logical outcome of examined facts when compared to applicable standards.

I ensure that I communicate clearly and regularly with auditees about the audit progress and any preliminary findings. In my experience, during an audit of internal controls over cash management, I provided the treasury team with regular updates and preliminary results, explaining the rationale behind each finding. This transparency helps in addressing any concerns promptly and prevents the escalation of conflicts.

When discrepancies or issues are identified, I engage the auditees in developing corrective actions. In my experience, during an audit of compliance with anti-money laundering regulations, I worked closely with the compliance team to identify the root causes of non-compliance and jointly developed practical solutions. This collaborative approach ensures that the auditees are invested in implementing the recommendations.

According with ISO....the audit process is not a consultancy activity ; but is a good way to add value if you can identify best practices inside the organization and you share who could help others with their good practices....is an additional way to manage organization knowledge

While these are all good suggestions and techniques, uncooperative auditees is a sure sign of a Management System not properly implemented. Senior Management must be a participant, and active supporter of the System. Senior Management needs to have communicated to all employees, the value of not only the overall system but that of the Internal Audit process. Employees must not be afraid to make mistakes and take ownership of them, and being open and honest with Internal Auditors must be an expectation for everyone. Lack of Senior Management support and Nonconformances being personal, and negative, are, in my experience, the top two reasons for uncooperative auditees. Challenge Management to participate and make NCs a learning experience.

Maintaining professionalism and objectivity, even in the face of resistance or conflict, is essential. If an auditee challenges an audit finding, I address their concerns with factual evidence and maintain a professional demeanour. For instance, during an audit of security controls, the security manager disagreed with my assessment of their password policies. I calmly presented the audit evidence and explained the industry standards that supported my findings. In staying objective and fact-based, I was able to resolve the disagreement professionally.

Para lidiar con cualquier inconveniente que se presente en una auditoría, como auditora, me ha ayudado la escucha activa, valorar la posición del auditado, respetar su punto de vista, aclarar la divergencia y llegar a un concenso; ya que no es conveniente para ninguna de las partes crear situaciones en las cuales se lleguen a discusiones que impidan alcanzar el objetivo de auditoría. La inteligencia emocional juega un papel importante para todos los actores, por lo cual, deberíamos trabajarla y reforzarla para que las auditorías sean el mecanismo o la herramienta para la sostenibilidad e integridad de los sistemas de gestión y las organizaciones.

As soon as you have a finding on the failure of the organisation, for example, inadequate tooling, you not only tell the accountable manager but the staff that will benefit from the new tooling. They love an auditor after that. Sadly with the boot on the other foot, I know of a case where the auditor made a finding of spanners (wrenches) held on a shadow board by steel alloy wood screws that would scratch the forged and case hardened spanners!! An auditor who speaks complete rubbish should be shown the door.

A best reccomendation is reading together manuals and codes. Helping collegues to undestand the requirement and the effect of conformances could be practical to accept the non conformances not at a bad qualification instead of the lost possiblity to do the job in a better way