Auditors and Consultants

The tribe of auditors and consultants is never going to get extinct.

As long as businesses exist they will exist.

In fact they can probably outlive business.

What makes auditors and consultants so special?

What is the value they bring to the table?

Why does one need them?

And the moot point - does one need them?

Before trying to answer these questions and first and foremost, one must know more about the tribe of auditors and consultants.

Kind of auditors and consultants - Solo, Duo, Nada

Some auditors are auditor only and not consultant.

Some consultants are consultant only and not auditor.

Some are both auditor and consultant.

And then there are some who are neither. 

Expertise level - Good, Bad, Ugly

There is never a better or a best as far as auditors and consultants go as most of them appear experts due to practicing a certain competency many times over, in different scenarios though.

The best are, at the best, good.

Many are simply bad.

And many are, at the best, ugly. 

Style - Formula-driven, Client-driven, Value-driven

Formula-driven auditors and consultants have one set formula which they will fit into whichever organization they go to.

They might have perfected that formula in many assignments over years.

And they will never deviate from the formula or be open to any customization to it despite client need and sometimes resistance.

Client-driven auditors and consultants will listen to the client, get solutions from the client itself, then paraphrase the solution with a certain twist and turn to make it appear "novel and right".

Value-driven auditors and consultants know multiple formulas, listen to the client and are adept at applying the best formula for the client's needs.

They are also skilled in knowing when a new formula might be required and do not hesitate to develop a new one.

They focus on creating value and view client's views and formulas as means to an end and not the end itself.

Span of expertise - Line-type, Bar-type, Cross-type

Line-type auditors and consultants know almost "everything about everything".

They are like "Jack of all trades and master of none".

Bar-type auditors and consultants know almost "everything about something"and "nothing about rest".

They have a narrow perspective and lack a holistic understanding.

Cross-type auditors and consultants know almost "everything about something"and "something about rest".

They have a wide perspective and carry a holistic understanding - the best bet.

Now let's come to the four questions that were posed at the start and try to answer those:

What makes auditors and consultants so special?

Auditors and consultants develop deep expertise in one area and are like specialists or super-specialists in that area.

They are expected to interpret a set of concepts with ease in multiple situations.

What is the value they bring to the table?  

Auditors and consultants can offer interesting perspectives into the problems and challenges an organization has.

They can also offer certain insights that an insider might fail to observe. 

Why does one need them?

Being external to the organization and getting paid (heavily in most cases) for their advise they are taken more seriously by the management and staff as compared to internal experts.

Does one need them?

Yes and no.

Yes because the messaging through them gets higher mileage.

No, if they are brought in only for mileage.

There are many good, value-driven, cross-type auditors and consultants who can help organizations they audit and consult in phenomenal ways.

In certain sense it depends more on the organizations how they leverage auditors and consultants since they foot the bills of the auditors and consultants and hence will get what they really ask for!

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