I wanted to discuss with you today, what is called the Terror Barrier. To me the terror barrier is about self-doubt.
How to Knock Down Your Personal Barrier
What is holding you back from becoming an auditor and taking that next step?
It’s those excuses that we might come up with along the way, or that self-talk in our head as to whether we're good enough or can we do it? Or even if we’ve observed another auditor and they seem like they know everything! You might say to yourself ‘how am I ever going to be like that’? That’s what I’m referring to as the terror barrier.
Self-doubts shared …
I really just wanted to share with you some of the things that used to go through my head when I first started auditing. So, this was when I first started external auditing more so as I was an internal auditor with a company for many years before that, as I think I was more aware of this ‘fear’ when I moved into external auditing. There were questions in my head like….
Am I good enough?
Do I know the standard well enough?
What happens if someone asks me a question and I can't answer it? That was not only with auditing, it was with training as well.
If I was working with another auditor, I would think, oh wow, they're amazing. I can learn so much from them, but how am I ever going to be like them?
I even think with me, I didn't want to move towards becoming a certification auditor and was content to consult. On reflection I think that was my ‘excuse’ or ‘cover’. I did do some consulting and I ended up in the certification world anyway. But that self-doubt was always there initially.
What do our students ask – what are their self-doubts?
I also asked our Customer Service team what type of questions they often receive from our students that might hint at this self-doubt.
We found that what it is that people are concerned about initially is spending their time and their money. That doing something, using their resources to make change in their life and then at the end of it, coming out with something that isn't actually going to help them. There are always a hundred reasons not to do something. It's only when you find that one reason to do something that you're going to do it. And to be honest, the only people that don't get through are those that have made a firm decision that they're not going to do the work or do any work.
A lot of our students come to us and say that they don’t have enough experience to be an auditor. A lot of us do not recognize or appreciate the experience that we DO have. Sometimes it takes an external party to look at your experience and point out what you do have. Look at your resume as if you were reading it as an auditor and you will see EXACTLY what you have already been doing IS just that. I actually did this exercise for myself when I first started out and it really built my confidence to know that I could do it and I was already doing it. Once you start recognizing what you've already done, then you start thinking “this is easy”, “I can do it”, “I'm already doing it”!
Something I think of here is ‘find your passion’! I'm passionate about sharing the management systems with you. I'm passionate about sharing the auditing processes with everyone, and I think even as auditor's it’s exactly the same. That's the stuff that you enjoy. You then talk yourself into it in a positive way.
An example of turning your job into a career …
We had a student enrol recently in our Lead Auditor Quality Management Systems course. He works in a transport company as a truck driver. He has a wealth of experience in the transport and trucking industry and he’s passionate about it. He knows the practical aspects of the industry so now he's looking to take that experience and do something better for himself. Initially, what he will be doing is taking an internal role within that company while building his auditing experience. After this he could be then in a position where he starts going out and working for himself. So, he's embraced that change and has a plan. He's found that one reason to do it, and he's using those experiences.
To conclude, please do not hesitate to come to us with any questions or self-doubts. I’m only too happy to have a chat with you and share my experiences. A fresh set of eyes always uncovers that passion and experience that you already hold.
Auditing is a fantastic career - who else gets to ask why like a four-year-old all day?
All the best and Happy Auditing!
Jackie
Note – this is an excerpt from the Auditor Training Online Facebook Live, which you can see here.
