IT Auditors - How to Communicate with Stakeholders
Know your Stakeholders: Identify key stakeholders before starting an audit by understanding their roles, expectations, concerns, and communication preferences. Use tools like stakeholder analysis to categorize and prioritize stakeholders, enabling a tailored audit approach to meet their needs and interests.
Establish rapport and trust: Building rapport and trust with stakeholders is crucial for IT auditors. This involves showing respect, empathy, and professionalism, active listening, and asking open-ended questions. Demonstrate competence by providing clear information, evidence, and recommendations. Avoid jargon, explain technical terms, and address any gaps, issues, or risks that may impact the audit quality.
Adapt your communication style: When communicating with stakeholders, adjust based on their technical knowledge. Use visuals and analogies for non-technical individuals, and provide data for technical ones. Consider purpose, frequency, and format, using various tones and mediums like email, phone, or reports for effective communication.
Manage expectations and feedback: To excel as an IT auditor, manage stakeholder expectations by setting clear objectives, soliciting feedback, and addressing concerns promptly and respectfully. Be open to constructive criticism, show appreciation for stakeholders' input, and strive for improvement.
Handle resistance and conflict: When facing stakeholder resistance, understand the root causes and use negotiation or mediation to resolve conflicts. Emphasize common goals and benefits to highlight the value of the audit and stakeholder contributions.
Follow up and follow through: After completing the audit, share a summary of results with stakeholders, thank them, monitor recommendations' implementation, offer support, seek feedback for improvement.