Avoid the Pitfalls they are always in the same place, honestly, they are.

For the want of asking we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of history. The best predictor of future performance is past behaviour. I could go on and on but you get the idea. Why on earth would you entrust full scale Finance Transformation to anything but experience?

Why would you say 'right we are Transforming, the Team has the Green light' and then entrust it to a Recruitment Firm? Who will bring you a disparate team who have never worked together before. Oh but there will always be a 'bedding in period' that translated to English means more cost. But that's ok...because we know what we're doing, we are Finance and doh...we love burning cash.

According to one of those famous Business Schools 97% of major change programs are delivered late or overbudget. That's ok then, we are in good company as we repeat the mistakes made time and time again, generally by those with no experience.

I flew last week and again yesterday. In both instances the Pilot had done it before, I felt fine with this. They still landed 5 minutes late in each instance. How late would they have been if they had NEVER flown before.?

There is a great Book which I think is called 'How Big Things get done', I would need to check my Audible library but I think that's the Title. Read it from cover to cover if you insist on going it alone. Then read it again and pin its Rules to the inside of your eyelids.

Yesterday was my 2nd 'Finance for Non Financial Managers' Training Day and again I spoke to a room of Engineers, very logical people. I really love talking with such people, they absorb information like a sponge and dissect it expertly with laser like logic. It was more like a game of high class Chess than a Training session, but we all enjoyed it.

As I left one of them asked me why aren't all Finance people logical? Why don't they understand that an SOP on the Intranet doesn't directly translate to the action they require. Don't they realise I need to keep the Power on and that is the focus of my attention not the fact that Finance operate on something known as 544. What team lines up 544...VAR please?

I have reached the conclusion, heresy you might say, but maybe Finance is called the Back Office for a reason. Maybe they are not destined to the the Star Striker upon whom the Business depends...go on say otherwise, I dare you. I am not seeing much evidence of it.

I once worked on an Anderson Consulting Outsource project. Long time again when I was but a wee boy with little experience. Now I know that mentioning AC will draw scorn but I only last week remembered they appointed an Engineer to run that Finance function.

Do you think that Accountants are actually not the best people to run a Finance function? What do you think, if we stripped out all that Debit and Credit stuff, do you think that your Site Engineer could do a better job at running or Transforming Finance into something less reactionary and more logical? Interesting debate isn't it. Bet your Boardroom didn't have that on its Bingo Card.

What I have always noticed with Finance is they prefer to do things discretely. They prefer to do their Business Case in the legendary broom cupboard...a slight exaggeration maybe but they are risk averse according to stereotype.

Any way, I digress, from my main point. I knew full well that I offered a Course entitled

"The Pitfalls of Finance Transformation from those who've been there - the essential Do's and Don't for Success"

That would all want it delivered privately, just for you, at your Office, with as many of your Team as you like. So this is only for you. One Day on the above Course at your place.

Since you Subscribed, you and only you, can Book me direct at [email protected]

Book it now before the Engineers take over.

Best Regards,

Michael Ryan.

Finance Transformation Training