What is a potential risk of discussing findings with the auditee's manager prematurely?

Discussing findings with the auditee's manager prematurely can lead to creating an adversarial relationship for several reasons. When auditors share their findings before they have had the opportunity to complete their analysis or fully understand the context, it can foster defensiveness or pushback from management. The manager may feel that their leadership or the team's performance is being criticized without having the complete picture or understanding the nuances of the audit process.

This situation can lead to tensions, where the auditee perceives the auditors as being accusatory rather than collaborative. A healthy audit process relies on trust and open communication, which can be compromised when findings are shared too early. Instead, auditors should aim to discuss initial findings only after a thorough review and with a focus on constructive feedback and improvement, which would help maintain a positive relationship and foster an environment of cooperation rather than conflict.