The Value of Communication Skills in QHSE Auditing

Life, both home and work, demands communication and how effective we are at communicating often dictates how effective we are at navigating our way through life (and whether we get value from our ISO 9001 management system!).

Many of us will know the frustration of having a new exciting idea, or of developing a great plan, but not being able to enthuse others as you’d hoped. Worse still when your ideas or plans are then ‘sold’ to great applause by others with a greater flair for communicating than you have!

Communication does not just rely on natural oratory flair; the art can be learnt and more importantly is an essential skill of good QHSE auditors. Let’s contrast good communication with bad when viewed from the perspective of an audit;

- An opening meeting can be a warm introduction to the audit plan and people involved - or it can be a confrontational occasion where we all see the ‘shutters’ come down

- Challenging a well-rehearsed process can be viewed as an eye-opening opportunity – or for the process owner or a personal criticism

- Reviewing an audits findings can be welcomed as insightful analysis - or pedantic disparagement of your organisation

Whether before the audit, during, by email or in person; tact, sensitivity, the ability to manage a meeting and to deliver your message with clarity is vital.

Learning to audit is clearly more than simply knowing the standards requirements and making conformance judgments. A good auditor training course (and more importantly a good trainer) will ensure students learn the tools and techniques that will ensure your interaction with the client is most likely to be successful, where both auditor and auditee feel their time has been used wisely and will create value for the organisation.

CQI and IRCA auditing courses have for many years been recognised as the gold standard in auditing qualifications. Third party auditors and organisations from the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors across the world have the confidence that a course with a CQI and IRCA syllabus will deliver the knowledge and skills to ensure both the ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ learning demands are met.

At iqms Learning we specialise in bringing CQI and IRCA training courses to life. Within the syllabus of our lead auditor courses you will learn to build an audit team of complimentary talents, prepare your audit client for your audit and conduct the audit in a manner most likely to yield success. Our tutors have a wealth of experience from many sectors and will bring that insight into the classroom ensuring that your qualification equips you for success, not simply delivers a certificate.

Contact us here.

by iqms Learning LtdMay 04 2023