Question for Auditors - "Off the Record" Conversation?

[Randy]

Off the record conversations? Yep, many times

To try to cover unethical conditions? Nope, that dog doesn't hunt

Normally the off the record stuff is about where they know a problem area is and a request to look specifically at something...

Right or wrong? Can't answer.

 

[Mike S.]

Off the record conversations? Yep, many times

To try to cover unethical conditions? Nope, that dog doesn't hunt

Normally the off the record stuff is about where they know a problem area is and a request to look specifically at something...

Right or wrong? Can't answer.

I know you do tons of 3rd party stuff, Randy. When someone says "can we have an off the record conversation", what do you say?

Curious what you mean by "right or wrong can't answer".

 

[Randy]

I know you do tons of 3rd party stuff, Randy. When someone says "can we have an off the record conversation", what do you say?

Curious what you mean by "right or wrong can't answer".

Yeah this is tough because it can be a path really rich with landmines and quicksand and I know I'm not the only one that has had that experience............ It happens.

More often than not this subject comes up after I've already identified something on it's fringes and I'm starting to follow that "audit trail" anyway. The person may or may not have ownership and they're just opening a "wormhole" for me to shorten the time & distance...but want some anonymity....Yep, so I'll be the bad guy.

Sometimes it may happen when someone wants to throw me off the scent so to speak, so I'll follow the smell and go in a back door...... Bad guy again, but anonymity in place but some of the stink might ricochet....Too bad

Sometimes someone may have an ax to grind and might have possibly created the problem for personal or other reasons....... I don't like being used that way, it can happen and I'll make a magic call to my higher up and say "Lookie here, here's what's going on..........." It's happened to me where an internal person has tried to do a "Pearl Harbor" and use the 3rd party auditor.

This subject of "off the record" has a ton on potential pathways and reasons, some are frivolous and some could be disastrous that's why I said "can't answer"......There is not a single correct answer and ethics has to play a role. Ultimately being a 3rd party requires absolute trust from the folks you serve and from the folks you see because without that trust you'll get nothing but a free lunch and a paycheck for a short while.

What wasn't asked is what happens if a 3rd party auditor says " can this be off the record" and takes off the auditor hat?

 

[Mike S.]

What wasn't asked is what happens if a 3rd party auditor says " can this be off the record" and takes off the auditor hat?

Well by all means that sounds like the road to an interesting story....

 

[Randy]

Well by all means that sounds like the road to an interesting story....

Yeah maybe, but I've still got some shrapnel in my "prad" going down that road