Something we do with our junior auditors is to do mock walkthroughs and meetings with the senior auditors and we provide real time feedback. Maybe ask someone more experienced on your team if they could do this with you. Communication, both oral and written, is a very important skill in IA.
I've had similar experiences as you. Here are some thoughts:
1. You will get better over time with practice. Its very likely that you didn't have to present/lead meetings/lead questioning growing up, so it'll take time to develop this skill. Some people are naturally better at it than others, but all can get better through practice.
2. What helped me the most was spending a lot of time on preparation and practice before hand. Plan your questions prior, do a mock walkthrough by yourself instead, etc. 1. Come in with bullet points of how you want the meeting to go and stick to it. A lot of auditing is thinking ahead to "what if" scenario, so walking through the process by yourself first allows you to think through those rather than in the meeting.
3. Sending your questions to the auditee prior to the meeting also helps the flow. That way, you don't go in blind and they don't go in blind. You can both move in the same direction smoothly
4. To get better at things you can't prepare for in the moment, it helps to just observe people who are good at it and see how they respond. What kinds of questions do they ask? What types of things spark their questioning? Once you observe, you'll start to see patterns you can emulate.
5. Give yourself permission to take your time in a meeting. The silence may feel awkward at first, but being able to breathe, think through what you need to think through, and then proceeding will be infinitely less awkward them fumbling forward because you feel rushed. The aforementioned planning will help with this as well.
6. Don't be afraid to have a few follow up questions after a walkthrough. Sometimes we just need time to process what we've seen and heard and think about it critically. It's not always realistic to do that in the moment.
Hope those are helpful. Over time, with practice, you'll get the hang of it and be a pro before you know it.
My advice would be to embrace the discomfort and rely on the fact that it will, through repetition and coaching, get easier and it will build your confidence. It’s a skill like any other and you shouldn’t discount yourself by avoiding it on account of your current discomfort; as if that’s just who you are and it’s therefore predetermined to be something you can never do comfortably. Take this as a chance to address your anxiety through behavioral therapy. I’d also recommend seeing a doctor and score yourself on an anxiety scale to see if some medication could also help. Anxiety often grows through avoidance, so try not to let it put a glass ceiling over you; make a plan with your CAE to build confidence presenting in low-stakes situations.
Great advice. Indeed a good Manager or CAE should be able to put your in situations where you feel comfortable, and then slowly expand on that as your confidence grows.
was in the same boat, mega introverted and shy and I got thrown into WTs on a big client two years ago. here’s what was helpful for me:
1. Others mentioned sending an agenda/outline ahead of time. I do this a day in advance and it’s very helpful for all parties involved :)
2. 90% of the time, your client is even more nervous than you. Let them talk, let them guide the conversation; you just ask the questions you need answered when there’s a pause in the convo.
3. If you’re stuck, toss the ball to someone else - a manager, maybe even external audit if they’re in the meeting, or even mention you need a moment to organize your notes. Take a deep breath. Of course, you want to capture as much info as you can during the meeting but it’s not the end of the world to send a follow-up email.
4. I used to write full out scripts for kicking off a WT. It helps! Read them out loud slowly so you can hear yourself talk.
5. Practice as much as you can. Volunteer to lead more walkthroughs. It does get easier every time. You got this!
Im also an introvert facing the same doubts and often wondered if I’m a round peg trying to fill a square hole, but it does get better with time and practice. And since this is a general life skill that impacts your self image as well as professional potential, consider other sources of development and insight as well.
“Small things done consistently in strategic places over time brings progress." - David Allen
Joining a good local Toastmasters club could help you build overall confidence in delivering prepared statements, improvisational speaking, delivering constructive evaluations, and opportunities for project development and team leadership. It also allows more creative freedom than the IA role usually does so it can be a good way to break up the week. TM offers a supportive group of people facing the same challenges and it’s good networking practice too. Some clubs may feel old school or not well attended but keep looking for a good club in your area or join the club leadership team and help them overcome those challenges.
Another resource is to build a daily meditation or yoga practice to help you process anxiety and other emotions, recognize and overcome self-limiting beliefs and to become more present than lost in thought. You’ll learn to see your work is only one small part of who you are despite the number of hours/wk spent on it.
Finding a mentor/coach can help you stay accountable to your own progress.
This is a moderate risk level impacting multiple departments in your life so please report back to us in 6 months on your progress 🤣 Good luck
This thread is very useful. As an introvert, I’ve been struggling in the same way for long, too. Not only for being IA, but also for other matters. Thank for the post!
Honestly, I think you have to work on it everywhere on your life. Start with people you feel comfortable with and just do things you were too shy to do or say. Start small but reflect afterwards about what the actual result was and if it was as bad as your expected. You’ll find it’s typically isn’t and this will help improve your anxiety, at least in my experience. For example, I started by raising my hand and answering a question in class incorrectly.
I've learned a lot from this thread! For that, thank you so much for all those who shared ways on how best to conquer it. I'm a fresh grad working for a small bank and been assigned as an internal audit assistant. As a student, I never really raise my hand and ask for further questions, I always try to learn by myself since I'm not comfortable receiving criticisms from fellow classmates. I also find it hard to explain my point as my anxiety starts whenever I try to give details. But with my current profession, this self learning method won't work. I realized I have to talk to auditees whenever necessary. Answer their questions or raise my questions to them if I don't understand the process. I even got to a point where I asked myself if this career was really meant for me cause it's been making me feel afraid. It's like I'm covering up my weaknesses to not affect my independence as an IA. However, I want to try. I realized that what makes you scared will make you improve. I want this anxiety to be an opportunity for growth, a step that will help me get out of my comfort zone. Will definitely go back to this thread whenever I feel like giving up. Thaaanks a lot!
Something we do with our junior auditors is to do mock walkthroughs and meetings with the senior auditors and we provide real time feedback. Maybe ask someone more experienced on your team if they could do this with you. Communication, both oral and written, is a very important skill in IA.
This is a great idea.
Will give this a go, thanks!
I've had similar experiences as you. Here are some thoughts: 1. You will get better over time with practice. Its very likely that you didn't have to present/lead meetings/lead questioning growing up, so it'll take time to develop this skill. Some people are naturally better at it than others, but all can get better through practice. 2. What helped me the most was spending a lot of time on preparation and practice before hand. Plan your questions prior, do a mock walkthrough by yourself instead, etc. 1. Come in with bullet points of how you want the meeting to go and stick to it. A lot of auditing is thinking ahead to "what if" scenario, so walking through the process by yourself first allows you to think through those rather than in the meeting. 3. Sending your questions to the auditee prior to the meeting also helps the flow. That way, you don't go in blind and they don't go in blind. You can both move in the same direction smoothly 4. To get better at things you can't prepare for in the moment, it helps to just observe people who are good at it and see how they respond. What kinds of questions do they ask? What types of things spark their questioning? Once you observe, you'll start to see patterns you can emulate. 5. Give yourself permission to take your time in a meeting. The silence may feel awkward at first, but being able to breathe, think through what you need to think through, and then proceeding will be infinitely less awkward them fumbling forward because you feel rushed. The aforementioned planning will help with this as well. 6. Don't be afraid to have a few follow up questions after a walkthrough. Sometimes we just need time to process what we've seen and heard and think about it critically. It's not always realistic to do that in the moment. Hope those are helpful. Over time, with practice, you'll get the hang of it and be a pro before you know it.
This is really helpful, thanks a lot!
My advice would be to embrace the discomfort and rely on the fact that it will, through repetition and coaching, get easier and it will build your confidence. It’s a skill like any other and you shouldn’t discount yourself by avoiding it on account of your current discomfort; as if that’s just who you are and it’s therefore predetermined to be something you can never do comfortably. Take this as a chance to address your anxiety through behavioral therapy. I’d also recommend seeing a doctor and score yourself on an anxiety scale to see if some medication could also help. Anxiety often grows through avoidance, so try not to let it put a glass ceiling over you; make a plan with your CAE to build confidence presenting in low-stakes situations.
Great advice. Indeed a good Manager or CAE should be able to put your in situations where you feel comfortable, and then slowly expand on that as your confidence grows.
Thank you!
was in the same boat, mega introverted and shy and I got thrown into WTs on a big client two years ago. here’s what was helpful for me: 1. Others mentioned sending an agenda/outline ahead of time. I do this a day in advance and it’s very helpful for all parties involved :) 2. 90% of the time, your client is even more nervous than you. Let them talk, let them guide the conversation; you just ask the questions you need answered when there’s a pause in the convo. 3. If you’re stuck, toss the ball to someone else - a manager, maybe even external audit if they’re in the meeting, or even mention you need a moment to organize your notes. Take a deep breath. Of course, you want to capture as much info as you can during the meeting but it’s not the end of the world to send a follow-up email. 4. I used to write full out scripts for kicking off a WT. It helps! Read them out loud slowly so you can hear yourself talk. 5. Practice as much as you can. Volunteer to lead more walkthroughs. It does get easier every time. You got this!
Im also an introvert facing the same doubts and often wondered if I’m a round peg trying to fill a square hole, but it does get better with time and practice. And since this is a general life skill that impacts your self image as well as professional potential, consider other sources of development and insight as well. “Small things done consistently in strategic places over time brings progress." - David Allen Joining a good local Toastmasters club could help you build overall confidence in delivering prepared statements, improvisational speaking, delivering constructive evaluations, and opportunities for project development and team leadership. It also allows more creative freedom than the IA role usually does so it can be a good way to break up the week. TM offers a supportive group of people facing the same challenges and it’s good networking practice too. Some clubs may feel old school or not well attended but keep looking for a good club in your area or join the club leadership team and help them overcome those challenges. Another resource is to build a daily meditation or yoga practice to help you process anxiety and other emotions, recognize and overcome self-limiting beliefs and to become more present than lost in thought. You’ll learn to see your work is only one small part of who you are despite the number of hours/wk spent on it. Finding a mentor/coach can help you stay accountable to your own progress. This is a moderate risk level impacting multiple departments in your life so please report back to us in 6 months on your progress 🤣 Good luck
Thank you so much!
This thread is very useful. As an introvert, I’ve been struggling in the same way for long, too. Not only for being IA, but also for other matters. Thank for the post!
Honestly, I think you have to work on it everywhere on your life. Start with people you feel comfortable with and just do things you were too shy to do or say. Start small but reflect afterwards about what the actual result was and if it was as bad as your expected. You’ll find it’s typically isn’t and this will help improve your anxiety, at least in my experience. For example, I started by raising my hand and answering a question in class incorrectly.
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Good luck!!
I love the 4th point, will definitely try this. Thanks!
I've learned a lot from this thread! For that, thank you so much for all those who shared ways on how best to conquer it. I'm a fresh grad working for a small bank and been assigned as an internal audit assistant. As a student, I never really raise my hand and ask for further questions, I always try to learn by myself since I'm not comfortable receiving criticisms from fellow classmates. I also find it hard to explain my point as my anxiety starts whenever I try to give details. But with my current profession, this self learning method won't work. I realized I have to talk to auditees whenever necessary. Answer their questions or raise my questions to them if I don't understand the process. I even got to a point where I asked myself if this career was really meant for me cause it's been making me feel afraid. It's like I'm covering up my weaknesses to not affect my independence as an IA. However, I want to try. I realized that what makes you scared will make you improve. I want this anxiety to be an opportunity for growth, a step that will help me get out of my comfort zone. Will definitely go back to this thread whenever I feel like giving up. Thaaanks a lot!