How much impact would your finance team have if their communication skills were as great as their Excel skills?

I've been there, done that, I have the "I love Excel" mug to prove that I thought Excel was the way to the top.

Great productivity? Yes.

Seat at the decision-making table? No.

After moving to a partnering role in Finance Transformation, I soon learned that hard skills don't get you a seat at the table.

Both you and I know, if Finance isn't involved, bad decisions are made.

Margins are lost and the business isn't making as much as it could be.

Finance needs a seat at the table.

But if the business doesn't believe that, then you have a communication problem.

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." - George Bernard Shaw

So how do you fix this?

How do you not only get a seat at the table, but get one that's reserved just for you with your name on it?

You need to be able to communicate your value to your stakeholders.

How?

You have to communicate from their perspective.

You need to speak their language.

Operational Activities

Project deadlines

Service delivery

Things they care about

"The two words 'information' and 'communication' are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through." - Sydney J. Harris

Finance has enough information, time to focus on communication.