Storytelling in Finance - It's Not As Difficult As You Think!
By Andy Burrows
We hear quite a bit about storytelling in Finance these days. And it can seem like quite an intimidating concept for accountants.
“I got into accounting because I’m a numbers person! Now you’re telling me I have to be a novelist too!!!?”
So my aim here is to take some of that fear away for you and make it easier.
Because my belief is that storytelling is not such a new thing, as it sometimes seems.
It’s something that accountants do already, and have always done, but it simply needs developing because we don’t tend to do it very well.
Storytelling is in our blood
What do I mean?
Well, I’ve been reflecting on the meaning of the word ‘accountant’ as someone who is employed to help the directors give an account of the owner’s assets and the success of the owner’s business.
An account, another word for which is… a story.
Accountants are trained, really, to tell the story (give an account) of how the...
Everyone's a winner with good Finance business partnering
By Andy Burrows
We’re accustomed, I think, to talking about a “Win/Win situation” as some scenario where everyone involved in a deal ends up happy with what they got out of it.
I haven’t got time to justify (and shouldn’t need to anyway) why “Win/Win” is the best outcome to aim for in any relational situation.
But one thing is certain. You don’t get Win/Win situations without having a Win/Win mindset.
And when we think of what Finance business partners, CFOs and Finance leaders should be aiming at, it must involve situations where everyone ends as a winner, certainly where the business is concerned.
For instance, as an example scenario, sales managers might feel they have gained some great insight from Finance that will enable them to convert more leads, whilst in the same interaction the Finance manager feels they’ve got sales managers to better manage risk.
These are the kind of interactions we in Finance want with our...
CFO Readiness Builder
If you're looking to learn and improve in the things that make a real difference to your career progression in Finance, take a look at our development program, CFO Readiness Builder
Need Personal Coaching as a Senior Finance Leader?
If you're a senior Finance leader or CFO, needing coaching, we may be able to help you. Click the button to find out more.
Join our mailing list to keep updated with impactful ideas, content, news and updates!
Recent Posts
