The Audit Podcast Ep 240: Practical Tips to Improve Workplace Communication w/ Nancy Yuen (SoFi)

Air Date: May 13, 2025
Host: Trent Russell
Guest: Nancy Yuen (Finance Data & VP IT SOX Governance Senior Director, SoFi)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the vital importance of workplace communication and emotional intelligence, featuring the candid story and practical strategies of Nancy Yuen. Nancy discusses her personal journey—from career hurdles tied to communication challenges and neurodivergence, to concrete steps taken to build emotional intelligence. The episode is packed with actionable tips, memorable stories, and important reflections for internal auditors and anyone aiming to foster better workplace dynamics.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Critical Role of Communication in Career and Life

• Nancy shares that at every stage of life, her biggest obstacles were "self-induced due to my poor communication" [00:00, 09:35].
• She reflects on her career setbacks, linking them to communication style and lack of self-awareness:
  • “Every time I thought that there was a success... I wasn’t happy with how I got there.” [09:56]
  • Communication skills, often overlooked in the audit profession, are central to both personal satisfaction and team effectiveness.

2. Emotional Intelligence: From Diagnosis to Transformation

• Nancy discusses her diagnosis of high-functioning autism and how it affected her communication and self-awareness [10:50].
• Her psychologist introduced her to “emotional quotient” (EQ) and the four pillars: self-awareness, social awareness, empathy, and self-regulation [11:40].
  • Notable Quote: "It wasn’t until I realized that emotional intelligence is so critical for every one of us, but especially for someone who is socially unaware, has already poor communication from some of the neurodivergence issues that I have..." [12:46]
• Realizing EQ’s importance led her to actively seek improvement, emphasizing that having neurodivergent traits is not an excuse for disrespect or poor workplace behavior [15:24].

3. Practical Techniques for Improving Communication

• Mock Interviews and Acting Classes: With her psychologist, she practiced real-life scenarios and took acting classes to improve communication and emotional expressiveness [16:00, 22:01].
  • “I took acting classes to help me emote better, to be able to communicate better, to think faster on my feet so that I’m not just relying on just pure emotion…” [16:59]
  • Memorable Moment: Performing as a single mom in an acting exercise taught her “there are these emotional muscles that I may not have used in my life, but...if I want to make a living and I want to be able to use my audit accounting skills, use those detail oriented, critical thinking areas, it has to be with good communication, it has to be with emotion.” [23:41]
• Leveraging AI for Leadership: Nancy uses ChatGPT for both personal inquiries (e.g., storing violins) and as a leadership tool to support her busy team, gaining advice like “listen actively, prioritize ruthlessly, shield them from unnecessary pressure, and promote recovery” [03:29, 05:30].
• Emotional Muscle Memory: By practicing empathy and adjusting tone, she learned to deliver difficult feedback while showing compassion—especially in delivering audit reports with negative findings [26:53].

4. Ego vs. Confidence

• Nancy identifies ego (“I am always right”) as a key obstacle to growth:
  • “That is the most dangerous position, auditor, accountant or otherwise, to be in.” [29:23]
  • She distinguishes between ego and healthy confidence; the latter involves understanding one's role as part of a team, being receptive, and practicing humility [30:41].
  • Notable Quote: “If you want to go fast, do it yourself, let your ego carry you. If you want to go far, go with others, go with a team.” [30:28]

5. Defining and Living Success

• Nancy reframes success not as achievements, but as the impact she has on how others feel:
  • “My success is really defined by: how do I make people feel, are they valued? Do they feel valued? Are people coming along with me on this journey, or am I going ahead and overstepping them?” [18:38]
• She emphasizes the need to “be humble, kind and forgiving,” especially to oneself [34:40].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Emotional Intelligence and Growth:
  • "After I took the exam, there was a revelation that I am not a good communicator. I am oftentimes without a filter and oftentimes will say what’s on my mind. I don’t put myself in other seats." (Nancy Yuen, [12:20])
• On Acting and Empathy:
  • “It’s not that I’m being unauthentic… but it’s being able to be in that moment for that person on the other side of me…” (Nancy Yuen, [24:13])
• On Leadership and Team Well-being:
  • "It’s important for me in my team that they’re all healthy, whether it’s emotionally, physically, mentally." (Nancy Yuen, [06:50])
• On Delivering Tough Audit Results:
  • “If nothing else sticks with anybody, when you walk into those… leaving the ego at the door and not assuming that you know everything, even though you’ve probably been auditing it for months and might think you do.” (Trent Russell, [32:44])
• Closing Wisdom:
  • “Just like the violins and certain wines, each gracefully age with wisdom… Know your worth and value and that it will increase as this life passes.” (Nancy Yuen, [35:08])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment | |-------|---------| | 00:00 | Nancy on communication challenges and self-induced obstacles | | 03:29 | ChatGPT in Nancy’s life: violins, oats, and team support | | 09:02 | Nancy’s emotional intelligence story & defining success | | 12:20 | Diagnosis, psychologist introduction to EQ, and practical exercises | | 16:59 | Acting classes as a tool for better communication | | 22:01 | Acting class details, learning moments, “emotional muscles” | | 26:53 | Applying empathy to audits, more compassionate communication | | 29:23 | The danger of ego and the distinction from confidence | | 33:30 | Nancy’s closing advice: knowing your "rock", self-forgiveness, humility | | 35:08 | Wisdom on aging, value, and the importance of humility |

Practical Tips to Improve Workplace Communication

• Actively develop self-awareness: Regular reflection and honest feedback help illuminate communication blind spots.
• Practice empathy: Role-playing or acting classes can help build the emotional muscle memory necessary for sensitive conversations.
• Leverage AI tools: Use platforms like ChatGPT for new perspectives on leadership challenges and day-to-day problem solving.
• Separate ego from confidence: Stay open to other viewpoints; avoid assuming you always have all the facts.
• Prioritize humility and self-forgiveness: Growth and healing are ongoing; mistakes are learning opportunities, not personal failures.
• Support team well-being: Recognize different life stages and personal burdens—listen actively and promote both emotional and physical health.

Episode Takeaway

Nancy’s journey illustrates that communication is a skill—one that can be learned, practiced, and continually refined. Emotional intelligence, humility, and empathy are at the heart of successful audit leadership and deeply connected to professional and personal satisfaction. Her story is an encouragement to any listener struggling with communication challenges, offering both hope and a toolkit for improvement.

“Be humble, kind and forgiving—especially to ourselves… Just like the violins and certain wines, each gracefully age with wisdom. Know your worth and value and that it will increase as this life passes.”
— Nancy Yuen [35:08]