The Finance Transformation

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It’s About Change

Steve Player April 1st, 2009

As our world continues to evolve, many publishers and editors have asked me to contribute a regular blog to the ongoing information cycle. Up until now I have resisted. I have worried about (1) the amount of time it takes; (2) the demand to regularly post; and (3) whether I can respond to comments in a timely manner given my extensive travel schedule.

But mostly I have wondered if I would have relevant things to say. My staff has assured me that I have more than enough opinions, and my wife and kids agree. And when it comes to finance transformation, I have several points of view on what we need to STOP doing and what we should START doing instead.

The question that remains is whether or not you find it relevant. I have asked many potential readers. Like many of you, they did not wake up one morning thinking, “I need more things to read on a regular basis.” It’s not like your morning cup of coffee. If you are anything like me, it’s a struggle to just manage the tsunami of email on a daily basis.

So how can I make this blog worth your time? What information can I provide that is most helpful to you?

In that regard, I am reminded of the classic book, I Know It When I See It, by John Guaspari.

This book tells how the CEO of the mythical company Punctuation Inc. struggles to help his company provide products that his customers want. When he asks his customers what they want, they reply, “I don’t know, but I’ll know it when I see it.”

As a consumer myself, I understand how that feels. I also appreciate the companies that innovate to provide things we never knew we needed, such as:

• You Tube

• Google Maps

• VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol, which drops global communication costs expanding the reach of business and families)

The pace of our world is accelerating rapidly. Maybe that is just because I am getting older. To my kids, today’s pace is the norm. So, as most of my career has been spent helping companies to change, I have concluded that I likewise should change.

What I ask of you as the reader is the same information sought by the CEO of Punctuation, Inc. When you see what you like, and when you see things that are helpful, please let me know! Your feedback will guide me and your questions help us explore deeper. Your discussion will help to shape a clearer vision for finance transformation. ###

Filed Under: The Finance Transformation

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2 Comments to “It’s About Change”

Liz Cantor Says:

April 6th, 2009 at 2:50 pm

Steve, We always circulate your interviews, and we look forward to your Blog posts. Forecasting is next to impossible in this environment. We believe we’re finally arriving at an inflection point as far as our approach to forecasting…we are looking to make some changes. Let us know what you see or hear! How are companies modifying their approaches?
Steve Player Says:

April 13th, 2009 at 4:46 pm

Forecasting is often confused with target setting. The result is that people often forecast that they will hit their previously agreed to targets. In this regard forecasting ceases to be about where you think the organization is going. Instead it becomes merely a revalidation of a previous revenue or expense commitment.
When this happens forecasting becomes an exercise in performance evaluation where people often tell you what they think you want to hear rather than an honest dialogue. my next blog post will cover this in greater detail.