It can be a tall order to get accountants, project managers, and leadership to see things through the same lens. Everyone has similar goals, but usually different approaches for reaching them. One party may be totally averse to risk while the other accepts it as the cost of doing business.
So, how does the CFO or chief accountant break down that barrier so they can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the project management team? That’s what we asked the team at Forvis, and their answer was clear: By speaking and understanding the language of project leadership.
Four approaches
The team at Forvis suggested four approaches to earning the respect and acceptance of the project management team. They felt that adopting a forward-looking outlook, developing an ability to communicate effectively using construction language, getting out of the office and into the field, and finding the right allies were key.
Look forward
Generally speaking, accounting teams work with data provided from events that have already occurred. This makes the department, as a whole, reactive and backward-looking. While data is incredibly important in the boardroom, knowing how to use that data to predict where the company is heading is a skill that only the best CFOs possess.
