calliecritturs
Posted : 8/10/2010 9:48:03 AM
Trust me they bank on making people nervous (no bank pun intended)
In all my years in various capacities in the working world I ***always*** go into ANY meeting with paper & pen. Not a 10 ton notebook, but some sort of a small tablet of paper and a pen **in your hand** and ASK as you set down. "I just always bring paper to a meeting. I just wanted to be prepared in case ...!"
If one of her questions makes you think of a question of your own then write it down. But you don't want to write down all she asks like you're going to coach the next person. But making note of her name should be ok. Or if she asks you something you think you **should** have known ask her if it's ok to make a note for yourself to look that up later.
That simply makes it look like you have good work habits.
A lot of it depends on how bad this manager was perceived -- did they walk away with company property? Did they not train their staff well? Did they sit and do nothing all day and work needs to be re-apportioned?
No gum. Keep your hands quiet. You may want to be early and ask on your way in if the auditor wants coffee and that might give you leeway to get a cup for yourself.
Honestly they aren't there to trip YOU up ... but they are there to find out what sort of wreckage the manager left behind usually.