You are leading your audit team to conduct a Supplier audit on behalf of a client. The client is a well-known brand in the Retail industry and your company was awarded a two- year contract.

While conducting an audit at a wine bottling plant, a number of events played out.

As the Audit Team Leader you find it difficult to work with a particular team member (call her Sara). Many other people get along with Sara, who is popular, warm and very well spoken. People listen attentively when she speaks, and she is recognized in industry as an experienced auditor and is known to engage well with staff. Sara has made an impression on the employees, to the extent where they have highlighted that training on the new ISO have not really happened they just signed the attendance register. She also managed to win the confidence of operators who opened up to her about their working conditions.

The problem on your audit is that:

she arrived late (and it is not the first time),

does not follow the audit programme, and

has many personal recommendations.

Some complaints have been made that she sometimes appears to smell of alcohol, but you have no proof of this.

Since you are the team leader you need to step in and manage the rest of the team members in order to maintain a good relations with your clients.

Given the above scenario, do you think there are any issues to be addressed? How will you address?