Course Methodology

This course relies on a variety of individual and team exercises supported with role plays as well as individual and group presentations and Excel workshops.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Identify the relationship between the various financial statements
• Explain the characteristics of 'delegation' and apply various personal organization management techniques
• Evaluate skills and attitudes of finance staff and identify their communication personality styles
• Practice some of the essential Excel skills to increase efficiency and productivity
• Apply finance policies and procedures to add value and communicate effectively with other departments

Target Audience

Financial managers, financial controllers, finance department heads, chief financial officers, accounting managers, senior finance officers, accountants, finance staff and analysts.

Target Competencies

• Interpreting financial statements
• Delegation
• Communication
• Organization
• Time management

The macro finance picture

• Understanding the accounting cycle
• The income statement
• The balance sheet
• Changes in owners’ equity statements
• Cash flow statements
• The relationship of financial statements
• Functions of management
• Elements of a vision for finance and accounting department
• Effectiveness versus efficiency
• Supporting the operating departments
• Purpose of the finance and accounting function

Personal organization and time management

• The new skills set
• Delegation and priorities
• Delegation characteristics
• Rules of delegation
• Handling meetings effectively
• Maintaining clean desk policy
• Managing your in-box
• Peak performance time

Managing the finance function

• Hiring the best people
• Identifying recruitment criteria
• Developing interviewing skills
• Interpersonal communication
• Fundamentals of communication skills
• Personality communication styles
• The attitude and skills matrix
• Evaluating finance staff performance
• Employee motivation tools

Key Excel functions and tools to enhance efficiency

• Consolidating multiple sets of data
• Applying control at the data entry through data validation
• Reconciling accounts by using 'vlookup'

Organizing the finance function

• Teamwork skills in finance and accounting
• Assessing the need for team building program
• Finance as a project
• Organizing by function
• Organizing by purpose
• Staff duties and responsibilities
• The need for review and authorization procedures
• The authorization matrix and control of processes in organizations
• Cross training and backup strategies
• Scheduling the monthly accounting cycle

Policies and procedures

• Purposes of the policies and procedures manual
• Documenting and communicating financial policies
• Staff involvement and responsibilities