The Accountant as Strategic Advisor and Influencer

To play a value-adding, proactive role, the accountant needs to understand management agendas, create options and turn these into effective strategies to influence decision makers. He or she needs increased influence throughout the organisation, whether with a seat on the board, or at a level below this. This course will show you the full potential of the financial advisory role, which goes way beyond traditional planning and reporting activities.

WHAT WILL I GET OUT OF IT?
• greater knowledge of your own strengths and weaknesses as a strategic advisor and influencer
• tips on how to navigate around political constraints
• opportunities to experiment with influencing behaviour
• essential influencing skills.

KEY FEATURES
• diagnosis of your own strategic influencing situation
• acquisition of some key diagnostic, problem-solving and strategic presentation skills
• a case study on advising the CEO of a chain of health clubs in a difficult, turnaround situation.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
All accountants who feel that, in spite of their technical skills, their influence within the organisation is sometimes limited. It will also benefit all accountants aspiring to more senior and perhaps less purely technical roles.

LECTURER
Dr Tony Grundy MA MBA MSc MPhil FCA PhD, Senior Lecturer in Business Policy, Strategy and Performance at Cranfield School of Management