2. Audits – A necessary evil The good news: Identifies gaps Gives an outsider’s view Provides opportunities to improve

3. Audits – A necessary evil The bad news: Identifies deficiencies to others Audit reports with findings – a bad news Attracts lots of attention from management Consumes time and budget

4. Typical Audit Process: Requires preparation time Requires time during the audit Don’t know what auditors will be looking for? Auditors’ bias - based on auditors’ background Auditor may misinterpret your policies/programs

5. How we generally react to the audits: We worry We may have no idea what auditors want We try to prepare We turn the data over and hope for the best When questioned, we become defensive We hope auditors will have NO findings

6. What auditors do: They are there to find the gaps Review data/policies/process to “Find” something Generally hone-in on some specific area Start identifying specific areas for Gaps May make us more defensive (especially if we know about the Gaps)

7. Typical conclusions of Audits: Auditors identify “Findings” and observations Generally we disagree with their “Findings” We usually become defensive

8. Typical conclusions of Audits: We may try to place blame Management gets concerned about audit findings We go through the exercise of responding to the audit report

11. Prepare for the audit: Have your own assessment Assessment performed by other department Assessment performed by property personnel Pick assessment topics that are the major concerns To your operation IGO The hot topics other sites

12. Prepare for the audit: Document Observations & Finding Action plan Identify Major Issue Record them Develop plans to address them Identify limitation (in positive notes) Action Plan & Timeline/milestones Complete some milestones

14. Dealing with Audits: Be honest Select the “Right” spokesperson Keep the complainers away Provide additional data, if needed

15. Be on the offensive: If you know the issues, let them know Show issues with action plan It will make issues less sensitive Reduces them from “Findings” to “Observations” They may give you “Positive” credit

16. Use Auditors for the wellness of your organization: Use Auditors for the wellness of your organization If Auditors find important issue, Listen to them Better to have “Finding” than be in a newspaper Use audit to resolve outstanding problems

17. Use Auditors for wellness of your organization: Remember: Management listens to auditors Follow-up after the audit Reply to audit report positively and timely If you disagree with a specific finding – Agree with some part of the finding Explain disagreement in the courteous language with additional data State your plans for addressing part of the findings

18. Use Auditors for the wellness of your organization: Address all findings & observations State your corrective action plans Resolve easy issues and implement them Include milestones & schedule Make sure your Management is informed

19. Use Auditors for the wellness of your organization Avoid the following: Being too Defensive Don’t be too disagreeable Do not hide information Do not deny the issues identified by audit

20. Questions? Raam Vichare DimensionR raamvichare@comcast.net