Add Another Role for Internal Audit Leaders: Company Evangelist

The typical career path of an internal audit leader often involves an eye-opening journey to a unique role in the organization—that of the company ambassador or evangelist.

When you first became an internal auditor, you were focused on the job at hand: How to do it successfully and how interesting and challenging it could be. You learned the business and built relationships with individuals throughout the company. Sure, you found documenting everything you did a bit tedious, but it was necessary. Eventually, you excelled at the job and moved through the internal audit ranks.

As you grew in the role, you started to learn more about the organization and what leads to its success. Perhaps more importantly, you also learned about what could get in the way of achieving that success. You found yourself involved in projects that added value to the company and contributed to the pursuit of its goals. You also found you were interacting with people from all corners of the organization. As you did, people soon began to ask you questions as a “representative from corporate,” because, at least in some parts of the organization, those mysterious corporate folks are sometimes heard from but rarely seen.

Guess what? Although it may not be what you set out to become when you signed on for internal audit, you have became an ambassador of the organization. You are someone who understands the strategic plan; the major corporate initiatives; and the mission, vision, and values that define the company. You didn’t ask for it, but other associates in the organization look to you, especially during internal audit projects, as someone who can give them the answers they need. Probably completely unbeknownst to you, you have become an accidental corporate representative and, potentially, a company evangelist. Although it probably does not show up in your job description, this is an important inherited responsibility. It’s not an easy job, but how you take on the role can play a major part in your own success. Fear not, being a company evangelist can be incredibly rewarding and open new opportunities.

An Informed Corporate Citizen
What enables internal audit leaders to act as ambassadors is their strong understanding of the organization’s mission and vision. They fully appreciate the company’s core values—the values that guide the ethical culture desired and the code of conduct. They also have a unique understanding of the corporate culture and may have even conducted audits of that culture. Similarly, they also have a keen awareness of the details of the corporate strategic plan and its embedded strategic objectives. How many employees in the organization can boast of having that understanding, breadth of knowledge, and exposure? It is a level of exposure we sometimes take for granted. That level of exposure, however, comes with some responsibility. It enables internal audit leaders to speak on behalf of the company and communicate why things are the way they are.

Internal audit leaders also have the opportunity to build lots of meaningful relationships throughout the organization and bridge gaps that others might not be able to. Perhaps more than any other senior executive, they visit departments, functions, geographies, outposts, stores, offices, and so on, throughout the organization. When they do, they act as a representative of “corporate” and employees are likely to ask questions about many aspects of the company.

Because of their unique insights, combined with training and experience, internal audit leaders can also rather quickly detect if there may be activity, actions, or behaviors that are not consistent with the desired values of the organization just by the types of questions they are being asked. Communicating the proper messaging from headquarters and also gathering intelligence will require some deftness and diplomacy.

Ethical Considerations
The primary job of internal audit may not involve policing unethical activity, however hopefully you will discuss with your internal audit team or senior executives when you pick up on clues that something may be amiss from an ethical standpoint. Perhaps an issue is not that glaring from an ethics standpoint, but might provide subtle clues that the values of the organization are not well understood, adhered to, or practiced. Good internal audit leaders will step in and look for ways to bridge the communication gap.

So, who are your partners outside of internal audit when you, after consultation with your team, feel that something needs to be elevated, addressed, or investigated further? Depending on the organization, its size, industry sector, and assignment of responsibilities, it could include personnel from human resources, compliance, legal and other departments.

As the good corporate citizen, it becomes your obligation to do something about what you see, hear, and learn, even if it is outside of the primary purpose the audit or follow-up. And, as you develop relationships across the organization, people may even come to you with something they think you should know, regardless of, or even because of, the ethical implications.

Meeting the Obligation
Like it or not, a lot of eyes are on you when you visit a function, business unit, or locale, whether it is to execute an audit, perform follow-up on an existing audit matter, or just to walk the halls as part of your relationship building activities. Some might view this as a burden and something they did not sign up for. But, it is a great obligation to have, as long as you fulfill the somewhat unintended role in a thoughtful, professional, and insightful manner.

“Take the high road; it’s far less crowded.”
—Warren Buffett

Once I realized this unexpected role came with the job, I relished the opportunity during my career. And, as my reputation grew as someone who could competently speak about corporate matters, the frequency and variety of questions that came my way during daily internal audit activities increased. When done correctly, the internal audit leader can be an evangelist and expert communicator of the company message to those who are looking for answers, insight and leadership.

When not handled well, however, the opportunity could be severely mishandled. An internal auditor could choose, for example, to gripe about the company or participate in the rumor mill, perhaps looking to appear chummy with those out in the business lines. Others might come off as unapproachable, considering conveying the company message to be “not my job.” But what would doing any of that accomplish? Instead, accept the opportunity, and learn more and more, over time, about how employees in the company really need an outlet. You will likely realize that most employees are eager for direction and further insight about the values and direction of the company at a high level. I often learned, for example, whether they were supportive of the mission and vision, whether they understood and lived the values and, most importantly, if they were behaving consistent with the ethical principles of the organization.

What a great obligation to have!

‘Ears and Mouth’
Internal audit is often called the “eyes and ears” of the organization. That could be taken positively or negatively, depending on your perspective. What internal audit might be better positioned to be is the “ears and mouth” of the organization. The ears, in that you must hear what people are saying and cultivate relationships in such a way that you are approachable and people want to talk with you. And, then, the mouth, in that you can tell them what you know about the company, its mission and vision, and how their efforts in the jobs they have support the strategic and operating objectives of the company.

Relish the opportunity and be the unintentional, accidental, yet important company evangelist. Your job satisfaction, image, professionalism, and career path might depend on it, and you might enjoy it as well. 

Hal Garyn is Managing Director and Owner of Audit Executive Advisory Services, LLC based in FL.