CFOs crave soft skills, but aren’t providing training

I caught the following tweet recently, and it reminded me of my most recent blog post on a survey that found finance people lacking in “value creation” skills: CFOs say soft skills are needed, but many aren’t offering training | http://t.co/kgsZg7kRjD (via .@CGMA) — CalCPA (@Cal_CPA) July 9, 2013 The tweet links to a storyContinue reading “CFOs crave soft skills, but aren’t providing training”

Finance managers are human

CFO.com has brought to my attention a survey conducted by the CEB of finance managers. They asked finance managers whether they believe their direct reports are “effective in the behaviors and skills that drive excellent performance by the finance function.” The title of CFO.com’s article gave away the answer: Finance Leaders Bemoan Talent Shortage. NotContinue reading “Finance managers are human”

Google’s 20% time at accounting firms?

It’s well known that Google encourages their employees to spend roughly equal to one day per week pursuing personal projects, or about 20% of their time at work. The results of this unique policy are numerous and successful: Gmail, Google Suggest, Google News, AdSense and Orkut. What would happen if an accounting firm allowed theirContinue reading “Google’s 20% time at accounting firms?”

Global ethics and international accounting standards

The Publish What You Pay campaign is where international politics, financial reporting, and the developing world intersect. The campaign seeks to force companies in extractive industries (such as oil and gas) to make public their payments to governments in the developing world. It began in 1999 with an “exposé of the apparent complicity of theContinue reading “Global ethics and international accounting standards”

Building and rebuilding in the GTA

The Toronto Star has two stories on their front page today about development in Toronto and the surrounding area worth noting. The West Don Lands development is a community being built over derelict industrial buildings east of downtown. And Vaughan’s proposed corporate centre and downtown is an idea that is seeing the light of dayContinue reading “Building and rebuilding in the GTA”