7 habits of a highly effective finance director
So, to be a highly effective finance director in your business, you have to be up to date on all the latest accounting standards, be really up to speed on the latest developments in tax legislation and spend long hours in your office reviewing reconciliations and signing off VAT returns. That’s right isn’t it?
With over 16 years experience, The FD Centre suggests that a highly effective finance director needs a rather different set of skills to be effective and “make a difference” in the businesses they work for. With over 150 FD’s providing FD services to a number of SME’s each on a part time basis, they understand what it takes to be a great FD!
Here are the top 7 habits for effective FD’s:-
- Competence
- “Bean Growers” not “Bean Counters”
- Build a team outside the business as well as in it
- Manage up as well as down
- Communication is everything
- Passionate
- Sharpening the saw
Competence
There’s no getting away from it that an accounting qualification and experience gained being a real life finance director counts for a lot. FD’s will be judged initially on how well they keep the score, solve financial problems in the business and direct management attention to the things that matter financially. Although it starts here, this is not where it stops! Other key habits are:-
Bean Growing, not Bean Counting
Highly effective FD’s should come with business, commercial and strategic skills that are super strong. Super financial skills are merely a pre-requisite
Team orientation
Teamwork is key for the modern day finance director. As well as the ability to build their own team, highly effective FD’s must be able to work effectively with the management team of the business and develop relationships outside the business to provide a strong network of support professionals.
People skills
“Soft skills” are the hard skills these days. Managing down, across and most importantly up to MD’s and business owners is key. Being a great FD and doing the FD “stuff” is not sufficient in adding real value to the business. People need to be brought with you.
Communication
The way you communicate and get your point across is critical to making a difference. Influence and persuasion skills are massively important to be highly effective.
Passionate
Yes “passionate”. High energy levels and having some fun is an important factor in effectiveness. What FD’s do is a serious business, but it doesn’t have to be dour, and nobody likes a bore!
Sharpen the saw
Keeping fresh and finding time to keep up to date is vital in this fast moving world. This relates to all the effectiveness habits not just technical skills!
FD’s who want to make a difference to their businesses should work on these habits to become highly effective. Those that can master all these skills will find themselves in very high demand!
To learn more about The FD Centre visit https://www.thefdcentre.co.uk.
