Professional Skills for Finance and Accounting 17746 Course Overview This course develops the essential skills finance staff need to excel in today’s business environment. It covers macro-level finance, personal organisation, time management, communication, team management, Excel efficiency, and financial policies and procedures. The programme is designed to strengthen both technical and behavioural competencies, enabling finance professionals to improve productivity, enhance internal coordination, and contribute greater value to organisational performance. Course Objectives By the end of this course, participants will be able to: Identify the relationship between the various financial statements. Explain the characteristics of delegation and apply effective personal organisation and time management techniques. Evaluate the skills and attitudes of finance staff and identify different communication personality styles. Practise key Excel functions and tools to improve efficiency and productivity. Apply finance policies and procedures to add value and communicate effectively with other departments. Target Audience This course is designed for: Financial Managers Financial Controllers Finance Department Heads Chief Financial Officers Accounting Managers Senior Finance Officers Accountants Finance Staff Financial Analysts Course Outline 1. The Macro Finance Picture Understanding the accounting cycle The income statement The balance sheet Statement of changes in owners’ equity Cash flow statement Relationship between financial statements Functions of management Elements of a vision for the finance and accounting department Effectiveness versus efficiency Supporting operational departments Purpose of the finance and accounting function 2. Personal Organisation and Time Management The new finance skill set Delegation and priority setting Characteristics of effective delegation Rules of delegation Handling meetings effectively Maintaining a clean desk policy Managing the in-box efficiently Identifying peak performance time 3. Managing the Finance Function Hiring the best people Identifying recruitment criteria Developing interviewing skills Interpersonal communication Fundamentals of communication skills Communication personality styles The attitude and skills matrix Evaluating finance staff performance Employee motivation tools 4. Key Excel Functions and Tools to Enhance Efficiency Consolidating multiple sets of data Applying control at the data-entry stage through data validation Reconciling accounts using VLOOKUP 5. Organising the Finance Function Teamwork skills in finance and accounting Assessing the need for team-building programmes Finance as a project Organising by function Organising by purpose Staff duties and responsibilities The need for review and authorisation procedures The authorisation matrix and process control within organisations Cross-training and backup strategies Scheduling the monthly accounting cycle 6. Policies and Procedures Purpose of the policies and procedures manual Documenting and communicating financial policies Staff involvement and responsibilities
