Good question! Ummm...my main trait for an Auditor is that s/he understand that an Audit does not equal Policing. We are NOT trying to catch people breaking rules (but it's fun when we do!
...my audits are traditionally cute, warm, fuzzy, friendly...until I smell blood and then I go for the jugular...oh...did I say that out loud???). We are auditing the system...not individuals.
That being said, and I feel like I'm writing something for a Personal Ad here, my ideal Auditor would be:
- unbiased
- impartial
- professional
- committed
- focused
- communicative
- articulate
- inquiring
- observant
- understanding
- diplomatic
- judicious
- honest
- thick-skinned (!!!)
I would want someone who could see beyond the "negatives" and provide positive feedback as well.
- What went well
- Individuals who performed well or made positive contributions during the audit
- Good attitudes
- Promptness
- Highlight areas for improvement
And with all of that said, come actual audit time, I would want someone who:
- Prepares - gathers appropriate data ahead of time and doesn't enter the ring without a general idea of what's going on
- Learns - all about the area to be audited
- Maintains control - knows how to manage the audit (without ruffling feathers)
- Is concise - avoids long winded questions that sound like they're straight from the standard
- Listens - goes beyond hearing what is said...what's not being said...sees the doors that are opened during the audit
- Assists - where confusion or misunderstanding is found
- Seeks - looks for objective evidence only, does not rely on guesses or assumptions
- Compliments - must be done prior to leaving the audit area and sometimes even during the audit itself
Okay, so I'm a bit on the picky side....I've got standards and high expectations. I think we've just explained my social life...or lack thereof!