Communicating Financials to Executives

Chapter EightStep 5: How Do We Get Started?

Your audience is now hooked on your idea. They understand the challenges, the proposed solution and the arguments. Now, you need to facilitate a decision to move forward with implementation. You must support the transition from presentation to decision and decision to action (Figure 8.1).

Figure 8.1 5-step financial communication framework – step 5.

Summarize and Ensure a Common Understanding

Before you jump into practical planning for implementing your proposed solution, taking adequate time to summarize what was discussed is often relevant. At this point, your audience has received much information and might be stretching their mental capacity to follow the train of thought. You might think the logic and narrative are sound but remember that this is likely the first time your audience is presented with the information. To ensure that your audience digests the information this is the optimal time to give them time to reflect, and to provide feedback and relevant input. Facilitate a dialogue to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Anticipate Change Resistance

When facilitating a discussion around your recommendation, it is helpful to anticipate potential questions in advance. It is natural for people to resist change when new ways of working are proposed, and any strong recommendation will likely involve altering existing ...