TEA is for internal auditors by internal auditors.

We decided to shine our auditors’ analytical and problem-solving skills on something very fundamental and important to internal auditors.

We’ve heard internal auditors say they feel appreciated only about 10% of the time. And the other 90% of the time they are barely tolerated.

But for many of us, we also experienced environments and organizational cultures where our appreciation factor felt more like 80% or 90%.

Why? Was it just luck? Or was it something we did to create a much more pleasant and rewarding environment?

Here’s a quick answer.

People liked us when we were adding real value to their lives. They were grateful for our help. And they acknowledged our contributions.

The simple fact that we were adding value changed how others perceived us. We weren’t just auditors doing ‘whatever auditors do’. We were partners helping to deliver strategic results.

At the time, we may not have recognized we were shifting our professional brand from ‘generic auditor’ to ‘strategic partner’.

But, in retrospect, that’s exactly what it was.

Now, it’s time to make those lessons available to all auditors.