When I initially conceptualised this article it was going to be about that time I took casual Friday a bit too far or, when I included the Barclays Executive team on my “I’m back from my baby vacation” e-mail or, that time I thought attending Deloitte’s midyear fancy dress party as a mime was a good idea. Face paint and all.

But those are stories for another day.

The times I really got things wrong were when I thought finance was all about numbers, spreadsheets and reconciliations.

In my defense, that is what 4 years of tertiary education and 3 years of professional training taught me.  University and articles was all about, identifying risks, deferred tax and IFRS 9¹.

Yeah, I’ve used that A LOT in my career … (note the sarcastic tone)

Don’t get me wrong, being guardians of the financials is the engine of finance. No matter what role we’re in as finance professionals this guardianship is key.  It is not the sole responsibility of Financial Control to ensure the integrity of financial results and data sources.  All finance professionals are held to the same high standard of validity, accuracy and completeness.  The application of accounting standards, tax compliance and risk mitigation remains fundamental.  However, we should not forget our responsibility as custodians of shareholder value and enablers of business growth. These responsibilities are amplified for Finance business partners.

When finance professionals default to number crunchers and bean counters it can result in some pretty awkward situations. 

Trust me I’ve been there.

Picture this!  A meeting invite pops into my calendar.  It’s from the Head of Business. My heart races and I am wrought with nerves. I have no idea why I’m invited?

It’s like an existential “WHY DO I EXIST!” moment. 

Sitting in the dreaded meeting, I would be paralysed with fear and unable to speak, counting down the minutes. Heaven forbids anyone asks me a question.  What if I say the WRONG thing? What if I say something stupid?

The opposite was also true. I would passionately recite a monologue on matters completely out of my depth and area of expertise.

It’s tough to stay in your lane when you have no idea where the lines are.

Then there were times when I knew exactly why I was in the room.  I had my numbers in hand, like a secret weapon.  The problem was, that’s all I had. An excel spreadsheet filled with mostly irrelevant numbers. Sound familiar.

I would proudly project this masterpiece for all to see.  Admiring it like Michelangelo did the Sistine chapel. Leaving my audience, often very senior heads of business, to bathe in my brilliance as if I had just solved the Hodge Conjecture². 

But there is no bigger fail then staying at the office till early hours of the morning in a vortex of spreadsheets, reconciliations and numbers which had no meaning or value to anyone except me and my need for busyness.

My obsession with the third decimal point and the five-cent reconciliation difference did me no favours.

YIKES! “What was I thinking?”

As accountants at heart, finance professionals pride themselves on being detailed.  And yes, that is important.  But every now and then we have to lift our heads up for air and see the BIGGER PICTURE! And no! It isn’t corporate jargon. It’s a thing.

Seasoned finance professionals must pivot between detail and the BIGGER PICTURE.

So here is my PRACTICAL GUIDE to the bigger picture

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Why does your business exist?
2. What’s the organisational strategy?
3. What’s the people strategy?
4. What’s the Tech Strategy?
5. What’s the marketing strategy?
6. How does it work?
7. Who are our customers?
8. How is the product made?
9. What are the customers biggest pain points?
10. What are the biggest pain points of customer-facing teams?

Can you comfortably answer these questions?

 If NOT.  We have some work to do.

STEP 1:  WALK

Get those steps in! Let your Fitbit work for you.

It is critical to get up from your desk and understand business areas outside finance. Visit the plant or manufacturing site. If you are dealing with financial services spend time with pricing and the actuarial team.  Visit the distribution channels be it stores, branches or dealerships. 

Spend a day at the call centre speaking to front line staff and listening in on customer calls.

Be visible in the organisation and don’t be afraid to move out of your comfort zone. Literally and figuratively.

Step 2: ENGAGE

Order that Americano with Soy to go and get ready for a date.

 Set up 15-minute coffee chats with business heads and colleagues from other functions.  See it as a speed dating session, to understand what they do and how the puzzle pieces fit together. Shadow teams across the organisation or at least hot desk in other areas of business. 

Be a customer of your company’s product and that of competitors.

Link up with the company’s social media platforms and engage insight-fully on matters which interest you and provide a finance perspective where relevant.

These are great non-aggressive ways to build your brand and network.

Step 3: ATTEND

I know accountants hate attending company events because…

“WE’RE BUSY” 

But these are critical in understanding Strategy, Vision and Mission.  Attend ALL town halls and company communication sessions.  And, yes, this includes socials.  That’s where relationships are built.

But remember a 1 drink limit and leave before it gets hairy.

STEP 4: READ

Have you read the Annual Financial Statements of your company? 

Don’t lie to me!

And not just the note you worked on in the balance sheet. 

Get your hands on management packs and executive committee presentations.  Finance has access to rich material which is a great advantage.  Ask your CFO-they’ll know.

At least skim ALL internal communications and visit the intranet regularly for news, events and company policies. Set up Google alerts for relevant news feeds related to your company and its industry. Better yet subscribe to relevant podcasts and listen in your car.

You will be surprised at your ability to connect the dots, converse with senior executives and support business when you layer non-financial and industry information on your financial knowledge.

The ability to zoom into the detail of reporting, analysis and insights and zoom out to the BIGGER PICTURE of Strategy, planning and capabilities, is an art as much as it is a science.  It’s a muscle which needs to be trained through creativity, exploration and challenging conversations.  It is the first step toward BIG PICTURE THINKING and a GROWTH MINDSET.

Pausing from the number crunching and taking time to understand the bigger picture is enriching both personally and professionally.  Work will be more enjoyable, fulfilling and meaningful. 

BUT DEADLINES! You say.

Go SLOW to go FAST! I say.

 “Big-picture thinkers realize there is a world out there besides their own, and they make an effort to get outside of themselves and see other people’s worlds through their eyes. It’s hard to see the picture while inside the frame.” ~ John Maxwell

Side notes:

1. _{IFRS 9-International Financial Reporting Standard on Financial Instruments. Very trendy in the early 2000’s}
2. _{The Hodge Conjecture-A very difficult unsolved math problem}–_{and that’s all I know}

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