Boosting Self-Confidence: The Hidden Ingredient in Professional Skepticism

Ever had that moment in a meeting when something feels a bit “off,” yet you hesitate to speak up? In the world of auditing, trusting your gut—while verifying with solid evidence—isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s essential. That’s where self-confidence steps in. It’s the subtle force that transforms a quiet hunch into a decisive, game-changing insight.

At its core, professional skepticism thrives on your courage to push past surface-level comfort and dive deeper. Without self-confidence, even your best observations remain locked in your mind. With it, you’re equipped to pose the tough questions, consider alternative scenarios, and challenge assumptions that have long been gathering dust. Self-confidence helps ensure that your professional skepticism isn’t just about noticing red flags—it’s about acting on them, too.

Turning Quiet Insight into Bold Action

• Spotting Trends Others Miss: Let’s say you notice a strange pattern in expense reports. Without self-confidence, you might brush it aside. With self-confidence, you trust your instincts, dig deeper, and discover a pattern that needs immediate attention.
• Overcoming ‘Business as Usual’: Tired of the same old processes that yield sub optimal results? Instead of keeping your concerns bottled up, self-confidence encourages you to ask, “Can we try another way?” By daring to disrupt the status quo, you open doors to more efficient and reliable outcomes.
• Elevating Meetings Beyond Nod-and-Smiles: When everyone is nodding their heads in agreement, a confident auditor breaks the spell by raising a strategic question. This injects new life into the conversation and often saves the team from costly oversights.

These moments reflect the shift from passive observation to active engagement. They highlight how self-confidence—the quiet yet powerful ally of professional skepticism—turns mere suspicion into impactful action.

The R.A.D.I.C.A.L. Framework for Building Your Confidence

Ready to foster that inner strength and authenticity that fuels professional skepticism? Give the R.A.D.I.C.A.L. framework a try:

R – Reflect for Inner Strength: Take a moment to look back at what you’ve achieved, the skills you’ve built, and the hurdles you’ve cleared. Reflection turns past wins (and even failures) into stepping stones that reinforce your confidence.

A – Acknowledge Your Fears: We’ve all got them. Maybe you worry about being wrong or sounding silly. The first step is admitting these fears exist. Once named, they lose their edge, making it easier to push through them and take bold action.

D – Do Something Bold: Confidence isn’t built in your head alone. It grows every time you act. Ask that difficult question in the meeting, challenge that outdated assumption, or test a new approach. Each step you take outside your comfort zone makes it bigger.

I – Inspire Authenticity: Embrace who you are—quirks, strengths, and all. Don’t try to mirror the loudest voice in the room. Authenticity isn’t just refreshing; it’s a powerful force that helps you trust your own judgment.

C – Cultivate Positive Thinking: Replace “I might fail” with “I can learn from this.” Positive thinking doesn’t mean sugarcoating reality; it means seeing challenges as opportunities for growth rather than reasons to quit.

A – Align with Purpose: Remind yourself why your work matters. Whether it’s safeguarding integrity or ensuring sound financial practices, aligning your actions with a greater purpose bolsters your confidence. When you know your “why,” it’s easier to stand firm in your “what.”

L – Learn and Level Up: Continuous learning is the fuel of self-confidence. Grab that webinar, connect with a mentor, dive into an industry report. Each new piece of knowledge makes you a stronger professional, ready to tackle tricky situations head-on.

From Practice to Confidence and Courage

Professional skepticism isn’t just a concept—it’s a call to action. It’s about spotting what’s hidden, voicing what’s overlooked, and daring to change what’s broken. By working through the R.A.D.I.C.A.L. steps, you’ll find that self-confidence slowly but surely settles into your work like a trustworthy sidekick. And when it does, you’ll be the one transforming quiet instincts into bold, impactful moves—while possibly cracking a well-earned smile along the way.

Like this perspective? Let’s connect and share more ways to strengthen the confidence that drives effective auditing. After all, it’s not just about spotting what’s wrong—it’s about believing in your own ability to make it right.

The most impactful auditors trust themselves, learn from their experiences, and step forward with confidence.

Embracing Professional Skepticism: A Series to Build a Skeptical Mindset

To help make this essential concept more relatable, I’ve launched a series of short videos that break down professional skepticism into bite-sized pieces (don’t worry, no jargon overload!). As auditors, we need to elevate our human skills to tackle the complexity and biases in our work.

The seventh video in the series, "Self Confidence", explores this fundamental characteristic of professional skepticism.

We’ll explore how self-confidence fuels professional skepticism. Learn why trusting your judgment, challenging assumptions, and taking action based on your deeper insights can level up your impact. This video is packed with tips to help you become an evolving auditor.

?? Key Takeaways:

• ?? How authentic confidence emerges from embracing both successes and failures
• ?? Practical tips to sharpen your skepticism through deliberate practice
• ?? Situations where voicing concerns led to better outcomes

Understanding the six characteristics of professional skepticism is one side of the coin in the quest towards professional skepticism. The other is understanding cognitive biases and how they impact audits.

Join me in building a skeptical mindset that’s not only helpful but essential for high-quality audits. It’s time to make professional skepticism something we can all master and, dare I say, enjoy! Stay tuned for the series.

View all videos in this series here.

#TheEvolvingAuditor, #ProfessionalSkepticism, #SelfConfidence, #AuditingExcellence, #RADCIALFramework, #TakeAction, #AuthenticLeadership, #ReflectAndGrow, #PositiveMindset, #ChallengeTheStatusQuo, #ContinuousImprovement, #AuditorInsights, #InnovationInAudit

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Empowering audit, risk, and compliance professionals to elevate their human skills and unlock their full potential. Each edition delivers thought-provoking insights on topics such as cognitive bias, critical thinking, active listening, professional skepticism, powerful questioning, mindset mastery, mental fitness, trust-based relationships, and effective communication. From understanding yourself and others to presenting with impact and writing compelling reports, this newsletter equips you with the tools to thrive professionally and personally. Subscribe to start evolving and transforming your career.

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About Me

I am Bhavani Jois, a passionate leader and coach who has successfully pivoted after a 25 year career in governance, risk, and audit.?My journey from auditor to coach has been shaped by resilience, curiosity, and a deep belief in the transformative power of coaching.

During the pandemic, I reignited my passion for coaching, leading me to fully embrace my calling and establish The Evolving Way and The Evolving Auditor.

I’m dedicated to helping individuals and teams unlock their potential, achieve lasting growth and find fulfilment in their professional and personal lives.

Join me on this journey of transformation and empowerment!