Just inside the entrance to Thomas Edison’s winter home in Naples, Florida, is a bronze bust of Edison himself. The base of the sculpture reads: “There is a way to do it better—find it.” As an accredited auditor of management systems and good manufacturing practices (GMPs), I have always seen curiosity as the trait that makes for a successful auditor and a successful audit.

Given the choice between an auditor who demonstrates curiosity but lacks technical competencies, and an auditor who demonstrates a wealth of technical skill and experience but lacks curiosity about how things work, I tend to gravitate towards the curious person. So, let’s pose an interesting question: How much curiosity is there in your audit program?

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