Essential Business Partnering Skills for Finance Professionals

Finance business partnering is crucial for aligning financial strategies with overall business objectives but what are the essential skills that finance professionals need to make truly successful business partners?

In this episode, our hosts discuss moving beyond finance and technical expertise to develop key skills such as empathy, communication, negotiation, leading with influence and developing business acumen. These skills are crucial for fostering effective collaboration, understanding diverse perspectives and driving meaningful outcomes in today’s dynamic business landscape.

Discussed in This Episode:

• How to balance technical expertise with empathy and influence to shape business strategies and drive change.
• Have a genuine interest and understanding the other parts of the business and what they’re doing and be willing to get out of your lane of Finance to form solid partnerships
• Encourage a culture where failure is a learning tool that fosters team growth and innovation.
• Embrace lull periods within business for skill development, to ensure the team is prepared to lead and adapt to new challenges.

Resources:

• The State of Strategic Finance
• How Relationship Building and Empathy Make Finance Leaders Better Business Partners
• Negotiation and Influence for Finance Professionals: What You Need To Know