Enjoy this series of shorts on Strategy from Jim.
Most leaders like planning: it’s mostly under their control, it can be done swiftly, and it offers immediate satisfaction. It’s hard to resist the satisfaction of a good plan, which converts a foggy future to the immediate possibility for success.
Plans are important, whether you work alone or lead thousands. Plans help answer the morning question “what shall I do today?” But there’s a problem here.
In a recent online poll, leaders reported that the number one change they’d like to see in their corporate culture is a stronger commitment to accountability. Accountability takes many different forms across organizations. In many cases, accountability is only referenced in the form of performance failures and mistakes. In this context, accountability is often characterized as being willing to “fall on your sword” and admit your part in where things went wrong. This is a short-sighted and negative interpretation of accountability that is unlikely to create a positive change in an organization’s culture. At its best, accountability is a personal commitment to taking the ownership needed to drive results and achieve goals.
Four-day work weeks and unlimited paid time off sounds like workplace heaven. It also sounds like a recipe for attendance and productivity disasters. When I spoke with Joyce Maroney, the executive director at the Kronos Workforce Institute, I became even more convinced that giving employees flexibility and more time to focus on their personal lives can increase productivity and engagement.
We have been trained to make certain our debits equal credits and our facts are indeed facts. We have been taught that numbers speak louder than words and to be suspicious when the right answer isn’t completely clear. It’s no wonder finance professionals have developed a reputation of being a little late to the party and hard to communicate with.
In an age when a wish today ends up on our doorstep tomorrow where does that leave a whole industry that methodically and meticulously creates a near perfect product that is often delivered too late to create much value?
It leaves us behind. With so much change facing us in the coming months, being left behind may not be a temporary condition for your company.
Here are some steps to help CFO’s get back in front.
As a finance leader, you’re intimately familiar with your company’s data and KPIs. But guess what? Most of your board members aren’t—and they don’t want or need that level of detail. What do they want? Like your CEO, board members are searching for trusted, strategic deputies who can provide high-level, holistic insight that helps them navigate the swirling currents of today’s business world.
Luckily, top finance executives have a great vantage point from which to fill this role.
Here are five tips to ensure you make the most of your time at the front of the room.
