NOTE: This article originally appeared
in the January 2009 issue of Flawless Compliance, under the "Hello
Rubber, Meet the Road" section. The link to the actual issue is
at the bottom of this article.
The next time you find yourself facing an audit think about this. A
famous New York University established that when someone casts their
eyes on you 11 major decisions are made based on your image within 7
seconds. Whether you realize it or not, your image is an asset or a
liability that can either make you or break you. What impressions are
you giving to your auditors?
If you don’t think it matters too much, think again. If an auditor
suspects that something’s fishy, or things don’t seem right,
your audit can quickly turn into an investigation. For instance, did
you know that government contract auditors are trained by the government
as investigators? If you show up for an audit projecting the wrong image,
and an auditor senses wrongdoing, even if you’re not doing
anything wrong, you could find yourself in the middle of something
you don’t need to be in. Costly fees for lawyers and eDiscovery
can be avoided if you just pay attention to what I call your "audit
presence."
A while back I wrote an article for California Executive entitled,
“Four Secrets to Passing
Any Business Audit.” In it, I detail my fourth secret as “Make
Sure You Control the Audit.” Most people don’t know they
can control their own audit, because they assume the auditor should
be running the show. This simply isn’t true. And since your image
plays a huge part in controlling the audit, I turned to image expert
Angie Katselianos for some additional advice. Ms. Katselianos is an
image consultant in Italy that assists clients in improving individual
and organizational performance. According to Angie,
” Developing a magnetic style and personal brand
that conveys confidence, competence, and credibility goes more than
skin-deep – it's an inside out job.
It starts with:
- Recognizing who you are;
- Building upon your distinct inner qualities and values;
- Aligning these with your professional goals and target
market's values;
- and ultimately, Reflecting that integration in your
personal appearance and style.”
Applying this to an audit situation brings us to my first and most
critical piece of advice:
Audit Presence Tip #1: Know that You Are Acting Ethically
and In Control
When Ms. Katselianos says it’s an inside out job, it means
that you have to know within yourself that two things are absolutely
true; you are ethical and have nothing to hide, and you are in complete
control of your processes. There are subtle things about the projection
of your image that you cannot control, but can absolutely be perceived
by an auditor. This should come as words of warning to people that
are trying to hide something, like the person who hides behind his
defense lawyer knowing he’s guilty. You cannot cover up unethical
behavior, even with the best training and tactics. In the game of
Poker, when a person subconsciously signals to players what he’s
thinking, it’s called a “tell,” something even professional
players fall victim to. Walking the ethical route is the only way.
To know that you’re in control is a matter of audit intelligence,
practice, and attitude. You must have the proper data systems in place
to inform you of your compliance status, and you must practice different
audit situations to know how you will handle them. After that, stop
second guessing yourself. You have all the information you need to
be in control.
Audit Presence Tip #2: Dress for Success
It’s no secret that the way you dress says a lot about how
you feel, and vice versa. In Italy, when an auditor shows up at your
doorstep, you would think they just walked off the catwalk at a fashion
show. This is no accident; they obviously know the effect that image
has on an audit. Ms. Katselianos states:
“The way you look affects the way you feel, and
the way you feel affects how you behave. Dressing carelessly impacts
your demeanor and influence to the same extent as when you present
an impeccable outward appearance that projects indisputable leadership
qualities.”
You need to dress sharply in an audit. If your auditor is wearing
something business casual, you should be dressed in a suit. If your
auditor is wearing a suit, you should be dressed in a better suit.
The point is not to intimidate (which is probably what your auditor
is trying to do), but exert power and control. This leads to my final
tip.
Audit Presence Tip #3: Act Confident but Not Arrogant
There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance, so before
we go any further lets highlight the difference. Dr. Alan Weiss taught
me that confidence is the honest to God belief that you can help someone,
and arrogance is the honest to God belief that you don’t have
anything left to learn. You need to walk right up to the confidence
line without crossing over the arrogance line. If you get arrogant,
you and the auditor will be on opposing sides. This is not what you
want.
Make direct eye contact, and stand up straight with your shoulders
back. Smile, but do not smirk; this signals contempt. The easiest
way to do this is to keep your thoughts in the right place. You are
there to help the auditor understand that you have everything under
control.
The path your next audit takes will be determined within the first
seven seconds of meeting your auditor. In improper image can actually
lead to a costly and time consuming investigation. You can avoid all
this by first being the person the auditor wants to see: ethical and
in control. Without this first component nothing else matters. Then,
when the auditor arrives dress for success, and act confident but not
arrogant. Take some time today to talk to an image expert like Ms.
Angie Katselianos. One free consultation may save a lot of money
and grief.
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