Having The Right Mindset For The Future Of Finance

We have all heard the saying ‘talk is cheap’, but thanks to technology it would seem that in the world of finance answers are as well.

In fact, they’re plentiful and instantaneous – helped by the rise of hi-tech robotics and clever algorithms, meaning routine work to gain data is being done more and more by machines. But what really sets people apart from these clever computers is their ability to ask probing questions – an inquisitive mind is, to coin another phrase, worth its weight in gold.

The ability of the finance professional to construct a good question is becoming paramount and that means management accountants and the finance function as a whole must adapt. The curiosity of a good question is worth a million good answers – it has the ability to inspire and compel people to think and act. The rise of automation taking on more routine tasks is freeing up resources in the finance function.

Now is the time for us to contemplate how we can move away from transactional processing – which uses technical and business analytical skills in isolation of others – to become truly collaborative finance partners with people and leadership skills.