We are heading full speed into a hectic time of the year. For many of us, our work lives actually slow down a little. (Yes, I know there are exceptions, but the slowing-downers far outweigh the still-got-work-up-to-my-eyeballers.) But our personal lives become even more insane. I don’t know if you are like me but, in spite of the frenzy (or maybe because of it), I make it a point to carve out some time to get away from the insanity, get somewhere warm (maybe in front of a fire - yes, we use fireplaces in Phoenix; we think we’re cold even if you don’t think we are), and do some reading.

A couple of weeks ago I shared “Mickey’s Ten Commandments” – ten things you can’t forget when you design a theme park – developed by one of Disney’s quintessential Imagineers, Marty Sklar. I did so with the admonition that audit can learn from anywhere – even theme park design – and with the idea that there cannot be any better teacher than Disney. I also promised I’d be back with some specific thoughts on those ten commandments.

I keep hearing about auditors who want to improve the relationship with their customers (auditees/clients/whatever). And then I watch them blithely move forward without any reference/communication/contact with those customers.

Ever been in the middle of writing something and hear that little voice in the back of your mind say, “Who really cares?” And you suddenly feel like all the words you’ve typed are full of sound and fury, signifying nothing? And then you realize they are only sound without decent fury? 

How was your Halloween? I had a great one. Of course, I live in a neighborhood that not only embraces the spirit of this time of year (pun intended), but also understands the joys of internal audit. So we had a lot of internal audit themed costumes and decorations, and I have to say they made for some of the scariest I’ve ever seen.