When you’re creating strategies to grow your business, your finance leaders are a big part of the planning process… right? Well, don’t forget your IT members too. While your finance people are busy crunching the numbers, they may not be aware of how technology can help them do their jobs faster and more accurately.
Don’t Lose Out on Valuable Opportunities.
Your finance people are focusing on their jobs to provide accurate accounting services and keep the company’s budget in tact. Your tech teams are trying to keep your computer systems running and secure. But as I discussed last week, it’s essential to open the lines of communication in your organization. If you don’t get these two teams talking, you are missing out on a competitive edge.
For example, by opening up communications, you can make better decisions about purchasing software and data security. Plus, you may discover new technologies to run payment and invoice processes more smoothly… saving time and money.
Once your tech experts learn about the daily activities of your finance team, they can help provide solutions to increase productivity and solve problems before they become major issues. Your finance folks will be able to do their jobs better, and you’re tech people will be able to do what they do best… provide technology solutions to help the company reach overall goals.
Easier Said Than Done?
Ok, so you’re ready to get your finance and IT teams working together. Where do you start? Ask yourself these questions:
1. What do these teams have in common?
When you think about it, your finance people have A LOT in common with your tech people. Both teams deal with numbers or codes, maintain private information and stick to tight deadlines. Mistakes can mean a loss of company investors or potential customers leaving your Website to buy from the competition. These people are under a lot of pressure to provide accurate information in a timely manner. Why not have them work together to ease some of this stress?
2. How can these teams get to know each other better?
Why not set a time for both sides to meet in an environment outside of their individual departments? But instead of the usual, boring meeting, plan an event people will want to attend. Offer a fun breakfast with entertainment, have a food truck deliver a unique lunch or hold an event at an outside venue. Be creative!
Then, at your meeting, discuss how each team functions, issues that waste resources and current successes. Review company goals and problems. Then, get teams together to discuss solutions and ways to improve processes.
3. How can you keep the communications going?
After your initial, team get-together, send out a note to thank everyone for attending and review what was discussed. Then, include an agenda for next steps with project deadlines, responsible parties and the date of your next get-together.
Keep this process going and be sure to discuss all activities. This way, you can see what’s working and fix what’s not. By celebrating small successes and team work (you may want to have fun, internal contests as part of this process too), your employees will see the benefits of communicating and working together.
Everybody wins!
While your finance people and your tech people have different responsibilities, it’s essential that they work together so that your business can be as competitive and successful as possible. To open the lines of communication, start with a fun and creative meeting between teams. Get them talking and set up specific projects so they can work together to solve problems.
Then, review activities on a regular basis to see what’s working and what’s not. Your teams will begin to form valuable relationships. They’ll be able to do their jobs better while helping the company save time and money.
What are you going to do today to get your tech people talking to your finance folks? Please comment below, or write to me at The Rich Dad Company, [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you!
