Advising Management (#188)
/In this podcast episode, we discuss how the accountant should give advice to management. Key points made are noted below.
Focusing on Key Issues
Decide upon just a few key concepts that can really help the business, and focus on educating the management team about why these items are such a good idea. This means keeping the number of concepts low, such as just one or two.
How to Talk to Management
Next, spend a few weeks figuring out how to communicate the selected concepts. This could be a presentation, or might involve the use of a consultant. Continue to make your case over a prolonged period of time, using multiple methods, and talking to people throughout the company. Using continual repetition makes it easier to drive home the message, and they will really understand what you are talking about.
When taking this approach, be politically correct, rather than annoying because of all the repetition. When to push and when to back off is a judgment call.
Subsequent Activities
When management finally agrees with you, continue pushing to ensure that the concept is woven into the fabric of the company, such as through the use of reporting systems and bonus plans. Only after this is done can you move on to another project.
If management simply does not want to listen, then your choices are to stay or to leave. If the job is a good one, it could be acceptable to stay for a while, and just work on improving the accounting department. This bolsters your resume for a move somewhere else. However, the long-term prospect is to look elsewhere for a better job, where your efforts will be appreciated.