I really don’t like being called an accountant . Okay, that may be a little overboard because I did earn a college degree in accounting . I also happen to be a pretty good accountant with the certificate and resume’ to prove it. However, it has been a lot of years since I have been an accountant and I’d like to think that I provide more to an organization than accounting. But since most people in business organizations don’t understand all that finance does, I’ll let the accountant comments slide. But call me a bean counter and you’ll have a fight on your hands.
The role of the finance department has evolved over the decades from eye-shade bean counter to strategic business partner. Finance has, and consistently continues to be called on to provide more and more business oversight and operational guidance. Furthermore, the finance field has over the years attracted more analytical, less technical candidates. Since the popularity of the CIS field, the nerds are steering away from accounting and I guess you could say that today’s accountants are cool. :)
The problem is, outside of finance, people haven’t gotten the message of the role’s transition. Worse yet, many within the finance field have missed the message as well and seem to embrace the numbers geek role. That’s perfectly okay for a career accountant; but once you become a CFO , you need to shed that persona. Progressive CFOs who see themselves as business partners need to talk in big-picture terms, rely less on the calculator, and get involved in the operations of the business. Step out there and become known as someone who understands the business and can see past the numbers. Focus a little more on business growth and a little less on cost reduction. You have to be your own public relations representative and continue to sell your value beyond accounting. It’s a continuing battle that you need to keep at it until your value of promise is well branded and known throughout the company. Yes, it looks like salesman is part of the job description too.
