You get an immature and written in a "not so good taste" email from the auditor or the appraiser.
He is seemingly upset because someone happened to challenge his jumbo-sized ego.
How dare anyone question him?
His ego gets hurt when someone questions him.
Since he thinks he is the only auditor around who has intellect and smartness.
And if that auditor or appraiser or consultant is a freelancer it compounds the effect in the totally wrong direction since there is no one above the freelancer to whom matters can be escalated to.
When you are working as an auditor or consultant with an organization, you need to adhere to certain policies and norms as well as reporting requirements.
So, if you have concerns with an auditor or appraiser or consultant, there is always someone above you can reach out to and get things corrected in respect of the behaviour and / or expertise of the auditor or appraiser or consultant.
However, the freelancer has no organizational polices to adhere to or no reporting requirements and hence tends to act in a very imposing and dictating manner.
And that's the primary reason, in several instances and quite often, freelance auditors and consultants may tend to and do act in an immature and silly manner.
So, what does the freelancer do in a discussion progressing around technical aspects offered by the different stakeholders?
Instead of focusing on responding with reason he responds with a complete lack of maturity.
He says you have no right to offer suggestions to change anything.
He says he has spent couple of hours so it cannot have any issue.
He says let me do my job but forgets that the other person asked questions because that other person is also supposed do his job.
He says not to cross the boundaries which shows complete lack of application of mind while writing and shows lack of any understanding of the situation.
The key thing here that comes up strongly is the auditor is not open-minded.
He is immature and writes and acts accordingly.
He is having a bloated ego which he is trying to massage by acting in an immature and childish manner.
He is also vulnerable.
Probably because he also knows deep within that the kind of work he is doing is not that value-adding.
And how do you show you are doing something of value?
You would write immature emails.
You would throw child-like tantrums.
You would like your ego to be pampered.
You would feel powerful by dropping names.
You would call and then discontinue the discussion quite abruptly.
You would tell that I am the auditor so better listen to me!
You would use the words like "I get irritated “which really displays lack of maturity on your part.
Since in a professional set-up you need to address disparate points of view amicably and not react in a childish manner.
In addition to that,
- You and your consultant are not in sync and you don't even want to accept that.
- You make several mistakes and offer apologies but are not really interested in making the changes required and throw the ball in the other's court by citing reaons which will not find any place in a professional set-up.
- You, in several instances, say something earlier, something else now and something totally else later.
- You have a closed mind and are not at all open to any questioning and suggestions from others, even your own clients!
- You consultant refers to you condescendingly akin to a demi-god and has a reason since he gets his morsels from you.
The smart thing to do in such cases is to massage the big-sized yet so very vulnerable ego of the auditor.
Auditors like to be pampered.
Auditors like to be made to feel great.
Auditors like to see them being seen as adding value.
So, you should do all that.
Do not think too much beyond that.
You know for sure that when you are talking to such an auditor or appraiser you are, in fact, talking to a scum.
Just smile at the immaturity and vulnerability that you can clearly see through.
And carry on like a professional.
And yes, never ever mind.
