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00:00:03 The IIA
Hello, welcome to Getting Started With, where our job is to make your job easier.
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On this episode, we're getting started with conflict and negotiation skills.
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In this video, you'll learn why conflict is a normal part of audit work, what the standards say about difficult conversations, how to handle pushback in the moment, and what auditors can negotiate and what they can't.
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So let's get started.
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Let's be honest about something right away.
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Conflict, it comes with the territory.
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If you do this job well, you will sometimes deliver news that people don't want to hear.
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That's not a sign you're doing something wrong, it's just a sign that you're doing your job.
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Think of it like this.
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When you share a tough finding, you and the manager receiving it can feel like two people standing on opposite sides of a river.
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You see a control weakness, they see their team's hard work.
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The gap between you is real.
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Negotiation skills are how you build a bridge across that gap to address the conflict.
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You don't pretend the river isn't there.
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You build a way to meet in the middle so both sides can move forward.
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And here's the good news.
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Bridge building is a skill, and skills can be learned.
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But before we pick up any tools, there's one quality every bridge builder needs.
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That leads us to our first term to learn, professional courage.
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The Global Internal Audit Standards describe it as communicating truthfully and taking appropriate action, even when confronted by dilemmas and difficult situations.
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In plain terms, professional courage means you don't soften a finding or stay silent just because the conversation might get uncomfortable.
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So what do the standards say?
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Standard 1.1, honesty and professional courage sets the tone for every difficult conversation you'll have as an auditor.
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It requires internal auditors to be truthful, accurate, clear, open, and respectful even when expressing skepticism or offering an opposing viewpoint.
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Notice that respect sits right beside honesty in that requirement.
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Professional courage is not about winning an argument.
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It's about being honest and respectful at the same time.
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Hold on to that idea because everything else in this episode builds on it.
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So, what do you do when a conversation gets tense?
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Three things.
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First, stay curious, not defensive.
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When someone pushes back on a finding, resist the urge to defend your work.
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Ask a question instead.
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Something like, help me understand.
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What is your concern?
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Curiosity lowers the temperature.
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Defensiveness raises it.
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Second, focus on the evidence, not the person.
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A finding is about a control, a process, or a result.
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It is never about whether someone is good at their job.
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Keep your language pointed at the process.
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Third, listen first, respond second.
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People are far more willing to step onto the bridge when they feel heard.
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And sometimes the pushback you're hearing contains information that makes your finding stronger.
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Here's a pro tip.
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When a conversation heats up, bring it back to the evidence.
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Facts are neutral ground.
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You might say, let's look at the testing results together.
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That moves the discussion away from opinions and personalities and back to something you can both examine.
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Think of the evidence as the first plank in your bridge.
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You might not think of yourself as a negotiator, but negotiation is part of the job.
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Auditors negotiate scope and timing, access to people and records, management action plans, and how findings are worded.
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So what is key to effective negotiation?
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Learning to listen for interests, not just positions.
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A position is what someone says they want.
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An interest is why they want it.
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Say a manager tells you, we need three more weeks before you can start testing.
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That's a position.
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The interest behind it might be a major system launch her team is racing to finish.
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Once you understand the interest, you have options.
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Maybe you test a different area first or schedule around the launch.
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The goal is an outcome both sides can support.
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After all, a bridge is only useful if both sides can cross it.
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The standards back this up too.
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Standard 11.2, effective communication, calls for audit communications to be constructive, delivered with a cooperative and helpful tone that supports collaboration.
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Now for the boundary that matters most.
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Watch out for negotiating the facts.
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Timelines are negotiable, action plans are negotiable, wording can be discussed, but the facts and the evidence are not up for negotiation.
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If your testing shows a control failed, that finding doesn't get bargained away because someone pushed back hard.
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Standard 1.1, honesty and professional courage, is clear on this.
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Internal auditors must not make false, misleading, or deceptive statements, nor conceal or omit findings or other pertinent information from communications.
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So be flexible on the how and the when, but be firm on the what.
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And if you ever feel pressured to change a result, talk it through with your supervisor.
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The standards point to that as well.
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You never have to build a bridge alone.
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Let's recap.
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Conflict is a normal part of the job, and handling well is a skill you can build.
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Standard 1.1 requires honesty, respect, and professional courage all at the same time.
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When you negotiate, listen for interests, not just positions.
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And above all, negotiate the how and when, never the facts.
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Thanks for watching Getting Started with Conflict and Negotiation Skills.
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If you found this helpful, check out Getting Started with Path to Promotion, where communication and collaboration show up as core competencies.
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And Getting Started with Understanding Enough Evidence, because strong evidence is the foundation of every confident conversation.
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You can find these and other helpful resources, including tools, podcasts, and training, at the links below.
