While most finance teams are well qualified they often fail to successfully influence other business areas due to a lack of interpersonal skills: professionals who can interpret financial information in simple, comprehensive language while simultaneously building relationships.
Finance teams should concentrate on their ability to blend their talents, support each other and maintain clear focus on the corporate goals.
Apart from maintaining an effective and current knowledge of the technical aspects of today’s financial environment, finance teams should concentrate on their ability to blend their talents, support each other and maintain clear focus on the corporate goals. Individual team members would benefit from developing influencing skills that will assist non-finance members of the organisation understand and integrate financial information in the planning and execution of their work.
Finance team leaders should carefully select team members to ensure they are ‘best fit’ from a professional skill, personality and team player perspective with a clear understanding of the expectations of stakeholders. Leaders should also ensure that each member of the team receives appropriate professional training for their role, as well as individual time for problem resolution, coaching and support.