Can we cross the street?

In my career, I’ve worked with many auditors. Conversations often feel like this: Let’s cross the street. The light’s green.

But is that the right shade of green.

And when will it turn yellow?

And can you prove you have enough time to cross the street?

And do we know if the light is really working – maybe it’s green in both directions?

And what if a freak blizzard starts while you’re crossing?

I’m not just posting on this response to an immediate aggravation. (although maybe a little)

Rather, I’ve seen that at some companies, every decision is delayed, deferred, and debated by the specter of Voldemort the auditors.

Folks who make progress accept that there will always be one more audit question. 

This is especially true with IT audits. when the folks asking the questions often have at best only superficial knowledge of the software they are testing.

You need to be confident in your controls so that you can push back when questions get crazy.

So you can actually cross the street.