We know finance professionals love rules. But sometimes, in a workplace fraught with old-school ways that just don't work anymore, you just have to break the rules. It's likely you have some outdated rules and practices. And, there's good news…
Policy and culture
Some people in charge of a finance team have leadership quirks. They're the kind of things that are obvious to the leader, but annoying to the employees. For instance, micromanaging and stubbornness. But once identified, leaders can usually turn their…
Your boss has a really good idea – at least she thinks so – and you disagree with it. Awkward, isn’t it? On the one hand, you owe it to your company and any stakeholders to point out the problems.…
Productivity is essential to every finance professional. But being productive isn't always easy when you're pulled in many directions. So no matter how dedicated you are to “getting stuff done,” it’s a job in itself to develop habits that help…
Some people naturally want confrontation. It’s just how they roll. And most leaders want to avoid confrontation -- especially in Finance where so much is on the line all the time. Confrontation at All Levels Nearly a third of all…
What are the three hardest words for any leader to say? If you're thinking, I don't know, guess what? You nailed it. Most leaders in and outside of Finance are afraid that if they say "I don't know," they will…
Finance pros always have a lot going on. It comes with the territory. So you sometimes need to say no to demands for your time. Many people respect that. A few don't. You Say No, They Don't Back Down Whether…
Good finance leaders are vigilant about what employees need -- because it really is about making employees better. So you want to focus on what employees need first, and what employees want second. You can't please all the people all the…
Clichés are so easy to use – but they are a cop-out. You may think they're great ways to connect with people, motivate your team or sound authoritative. But most business clichés are overused, outdated and meaningless. Simply put, they're…
“I can't wait to sit in another hour-long meeting!” -- said No One. Ever. It’s bad if an employee dreads it. It’s worse if you’re the one who called the finance meeting and you dread it. Even when you keep…
Some emails aren't meant to be sent. When you work in Finance, you deal with quite a bit of private information. So you must understand that there is no such thing as a private email. Or a private text message…
No matter how hard you try, sometimes you and your finance team fail. We make mistakes. We miss deadlines. We fall short. In fact, a third of accountants admit to making multiple errors every week (and, yes we know, all…
