Can you be too detailed as an auditor?
So the thing about me is I really get in there and ask a million questions and really try to understand the process, identify weaknesses and process improvements when I'm auditing.
Without fail, this always rubs the process owners the wrong way. Even after opening the audit by reminding them I'm not trying to pull any punches or catch them in a mistake, when my first pass at testing is complete and I can't move forward without having some questions answered, process owners interpret my questions as passive aggressive or implying they made some kind of error.
I am direct. I usually ask my questions while peppering in my reason for asking. Sometimes I get too detailed so I have to chop it down. It's something I work on, being clear and concise.
Recently, even after doing all my self editing, the process owner I'm auditing who knows my style very well because he used to be my supervisor, told his boss he thought I was being passive aggressive in my questions. His boss talked to my boss and my boss said I'm just detailed and direct and never being passive aggressive. Then he told me about it.
I told my boss I didn't understand why I would come across as passive aggressive to him and asked why people don't just talk to me about it. He said people are afraid of me. They don't expect the level of detail at which I look at things and they get defensive. He said I get in the weeds. That made me cringe because I've always only heard that term negatively. Like we shouldn't get "too into the weeds." But then I'm also complimented for my attention to detail. It's confusing.
I feel like I can't properly provide assurance until I've thoroughly reviewed everything (within the scope). Is that not typical?
I learned on the job and self studied for my CIA and it seems like this is a subtilty to the job I haven't picked up on. I've been in IA for four years. I feel like with every employee I audit that's one more person I've pissed off that doesn't like me anymore because I've over examined them.
So, can an auditor be too detailed even when they remain in scope? How do you know where to stop? Did someone teach you or guide you? Is considering how people react and adjusting your results a conflict of objectivity and independence or is some adjustment normal?
Lastly, I'm also autistic and in the closet about it because I don't want to be seen as less than. I have a sneaking suspicion this is a neurodivergence issue... But I don't know.
Advice requested and appreciated. Thanks for reading.