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Translating Risk into Actionable
Language for the Frontline
for something more. Auditors need to stop being
the “police” and start being partners—helping
people take ownership of risks instead of simply
reporting on them.
It’s not enough to say, “Here’s a problem—go
fix it.” Auditors can have a much bigger impact
by framing audit findings as opportunities for
improvement. That means talking to frontline
Roshan Bajaj teams, hearing their perspectives, and working
together with leaders to make risk awareness part
rkbajaj@jpnrgroup.com of everyday decision-making.
Many auditors are finding that static reports just
don’t cut it anymore. Interactive workshops, real-
For as long as anyone can remember, auditors time dashboards, and even storytelling are proving
have been seen as the guardians of compliance and to be far more effective. These approaches help
control. Their job has been to spot risks, report bring risks to life in ways people can relate to—
gaps, and help organizations stay on course. But and they also reduce the defensiveness that often
in today’s fast-moving world, that role is shifting. follows an audit. Most importantly, they create a
It’s no longer enough for auditors to simply flag sense of shared responsibility, where everyone
risks—they need to translate them. feels like they have a role to play in managing risk.
It’s not just about handing executives an audit Speaking a Language That Connects
report anymore. It’s about making sure the people
who deal with risks every day—the frontline One of the biggest challenges in traditional risk
workers—actually understand what’s at stake and communication is the use of technical jargon
what they can do about it. that feels disconnected from daily work. Words
like “non-compliance” or “control failure” might
Peter Drucker once said, “The greatest danger in mean something to auditors, but they often leave
times of turbulence is not the turbulence; it is to act frontline workers thinking what it means.
with yesterday’s logic.” Those words ring true now
more than ever. If organizations keep relying on These strategies don’t just pass along information—
old ways of communicating risk, they’ll miss the they actively engage people, making it clear what’s
chance to reach the very people who can make a expected of them and why it matters.
difference. What’s needed is a new approach—one
where risks are communicated in clear, relatable For example, DuPont, a global leader in chemicals,
terms that inspire action across the organization. realized that audit reports filled with jargon like
“systemic control failure” were ineffective on
From Policing to Partnering the shop floor. They launched a campaign using
phrases like “Would you send your child into
Traditionally, auditors have been seen as this environment without gloves?” and delivered
monitors—pointing out what’s wrong and handing these messages via shift briefings, videos, and peer
out lists of issues to be fixed. But today’s world calls storytelling. Within a year, repeat safety incidents
INTERNAL AUDIT TODAY 46
