Soft Skills: Balance sheet barbed wire

More than just a bean-counter: shed that undeserved image by improving your communication abilities

Financial specialists need to rediscover the art of communication if they are to break down the barriers that can come between themselves and their non-financial colleagues, advises Jo Ouston

'Bean-counter' - how offensive is that? It's an attitude and an image everyone in accounting would like to get rid of - and not just because it's offensive. In modern organisational life, financial professionals (like all specialists) need to be able to operate outside their field of expertise, for the sake of themselves and their organisations.

At the root of this is the change from a hierarchical structure to a more open style of decision-making and strategy setting. Smart management realised that specialisation would be best realised by lowering departmental walls and encouraging people to work in teams with mixed disciplines and a shared vision.

This transparency proved effective for both organisations and individuals, giving the latter the opportunity to contribute more, learn more and develop more. It also gave companies the opportunity to identify the true potential of individuals working for them.

The corollary is that today everyone, and perhaps accountants more than most (because of the undeserved but persistent 'bean-counter' slur), need to rediscover a whole set of communication skills that have been too long ignored. I say 'rediscover' because these are not new skills; they areinherent in everyone.

Take an accountant, for example. First, he gets across the financial material in ways that non-financial people understand and appreciate. Secondly, he conveys its relevance to their specialist areas, generating the 'fit' and synergy that energise the whole group. And thirdly, he convinces. The rest of the group recognise and respect him as an individual and not just as an accountant. His point of view and his wider strategic vision gain understanding and force. Out goes the 'bean-counter' in comes someone they can work with.

Real communication operates on many levels and through many channels; it doesn't happen in a vacuum. My understanding of the value and power of communication is that it creates a relationship in which information and ideas can be exchanged. So, when you meet a colleague or attend a meeting, and before you even utter a word, you are influencing that relationship.

Personal presence

How we present ourselves in terms of body language, tone of voice, balance and posture has a huge impact on how we are perceived by our colleagues and how we bridge any barriers of language or culture between us - the 'balance sheet barbed wire'.

By understanding the impact of the elements that make up our image, we can learn how to harness our personal presence and communicate our ideas and beliefs with the confidence, clarity and persuasiveness that will influence others.

James Devlin recently moved from a purely financial role in the John Lewis Partnership to one in the group's Peter Jones store, offering a broader contribution to the company's strategic development programme. To aid him in this new challenge, he undertook a Personal Presence programme. It was, he says, different from any course he had previously attended: "I was asked to focus on my breathing, voice and relaxation and given advice about how to use posture to create the desired personal presence." He adds that he has seen the benefits in the way this affects his team and the whole organisation.

Personal presence is communication, because it conveys who you are and so creates that essential relationship in which the exchange of information and ideas can flourish. Good communicators are people who make a difference. No more bean counters, just people who count.