CONTENTS
1 STEP 1: IMPROVE YOUR LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS BY LOOKING AHEAD
Our future—more of the Same, at Warp Speed
CFO and Controller’s Future Roles
The CFO and Controller Team’s Responsibilities
The Management Accounting Department’s Journey Into the Future
Value Creation Approach to Management Accounting: Eight Insights into Management Accounting’s Future
Universal Theme No. 1: An Emphasis on Nonaccounting Roles
Universal Theme No. 2: Our Performance Gap
Universal Theme No. 3: The Collaborative Partnership
Solution No. 1—How to Overcome the Performance Gap
Solution No. 2—How to Prepare for Tomorrow
2 STEP 2: BECOME AN EFFECTIVE COACH
Coaching at the Individual Level
Accountability Factor in Coaching
Specific Skills of a True Coach
Coaching at the Organisational Level
Controller and CFO Best Practice: Position Description
Elements of the Position Description
Benefits of using a Position Description
Tips on Making the Position Description Effective
Position Description for a General Accounting Assistant
3 STEP 3: IMPROVE THE ORGANISATION’s PERFORMANCE THROUGH COACHING
Best Practice: Shape the Culture by Defining It
The Leader as Proactive Shaper of Culture
Best Practice: Create Balanced Risk-Taking With a Risk Programme
Risk Is Individual to Each of Us
Risk Is Everywhere and Never-Ending
Why Defining Risk Is Necessary
The Meaning of Risk Has Changed
Fundamental Sources of All Business Risks
CFO Solutions to Make People Aware That Risk Exists
CFO Solutions to make People Aware that Risk can Be Survived
CFO tool: Selecting the Right Strategy
Best Practice: Foster Accountability by Defining It
Accountability From a Leader’s Perspective
Accountability Is Often Misunderstood
Why Accountability Works to Make Everyone Successful
How Leaders Improve Accountability
Best Practice: Establish a Governance Programme That Eliminates Questionable Practices
Controls or Policies Are Not Governance
Makeup of a Governance Programme
The Human Element in Governance
4 STEP 4: IMPROVE YOUR TEAM’s EFFECTIVENESS THROUGH COACHING
The Value of Teaming in Finance
The CFO as Developer of Team’s Skills and Talents
Best Practice: Shape Your Employees’ Teaming Behaviours With a Solid Structure
The Team’s Decisions Are Made by Consensus
10½ Rules About Building Effective Teams
Best Practice: Shape Your Employees’ Accountability by Establishing Behaviour Expectations
Expectations and Standards Shape Behaviours
Best Practice: Shape Your Employees’ Behaviour by Using Honest Feedback
How to Keep Feedback Objective
When and Where to Use Feedback
10½ Rules for Performance Improving Feedback
Best Practice: Shape Your Employees’ Behaviour With Recognition and Rewards
Why Rewards and Recognition Foster Team Behaviours
How Leaders Create Team Recognition
5 STEP 5: IMPROVE YOUR CHANGE AGENT SKILLS THROUGH SELF-COACHING
Similar Roles Yet Different Responsibilities
Best Practice: Skills Gap Assessment
Change Agent’s Skills Explained
Best Practice: Formalised Action Plan
obtain Tangible Results With an Action Plan
Best Practice: Action Plan Reporting and Accountability
CFO versus the Controller—How the Roles vary
6 Step 6: IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS AS A LEADER IN THE MIDDLE
Your Personal Strength: Surviving as a Manager in the Middle
Your Biggest Hurdle to Becoming a Great Leader
Best Practice: Solution Creator
How to Become an Effective Problem Solver
Their Pain Is Real and Tangible, Yet Hidden
Best Practice: Probing Questions
How to Get to the Real Problem
Why Management Accountants Do Not Use Objective Questioning
Best Practice: Problem Restatement
Ways Get to the Real Cause of an Issue or Problem
How to Use Problem Restatement
The Process for Restating the Problem
7 CHAPTER 7: STEP 6½: IMPROVE BY MAKING A COMMITMENT
Today’s Management Accounting Leader Realities
Our Skills and Knowledge Grow Obsolete at an Ever-Faster Rate
Significant Trends in Management Accounting that Impact the CFO and Controller
Strategies for Coping With the Pain of These Changes
Best Practice—Instilling a Personal Commitment
Best Practice—Instilling Continuous Improvement with Plus/Delta