Encourage Audit Innovation with your own ‘Skunkworks’ Project…..

Sometimes the best ideas come from sitting on the beach or next to the pool with a drink in hand while letting your mind run free.  A week later, when you are back at work and excited to put that great idea into practice, reality sets in and you never get around to it.
How many great and creative ideas get lost like this?  Probably at least one or two each year for every person on your team.
Capitalize on these ideas with your own Internal Audit ‘Skunkworks’ project!  Pick a day for your team to go offsite and work on any project of their choosing.  Here are a few guidelines you might find helpful:

• Don’t make participation mandatory
• Not every project will be a success so make sure your team understands it’s okay if their project doesn’t pan out
• Devote at least an entire day to your event
• If possible, hold the event offsite where employees can dress down and won’t be bothered by phone calls or other office distractions
• Have each participant hold a short presentation on their projects and results the following day
• Provide breakfast and lunch on-site so your team has more time to devote to their projects
• To ensure efficient use of time, have your team do any necessary legwork ahead of time

Good luck with your ‘Skunkworks’ project!  I’d love to hear about success stories or lessons learned from those of you having done something like this!