Struggling to align finance and non-finance teams for common goals?

Os objetivos devem seguir uma linha, uma diretriz, para toda a organização, devem começar do topo, com os objetivos estratégicos da organização sendo traçados no seu planejamento estratégico, esses objetivos devem "descer" a hierarquia da organização se desdobrando em objetivos mais específicos de cada área, assim, todos irão trabalhar por um objetivo final comum.

Quanto mais a equipe se afina no objetivo da empresa ou seja em qualquer área de atuação, mais eficiente será a conclusão desse objetivo.

Company or organisation objectives should ideally cascade down from the strategic goals defined. There's usually a linkage between financial and non-financial goals, so if these are not understood or articulated, it would be a worth mapping out. For example, the service profit chain demonstrated the impact on the bottom line of retail based on employee engagement. Where qual and quant measures are required, consider using the Balanced Scorecard as a tool to help align. In a previous business I owned, I took the approach of talking through the company financials with team members, even junior members of staff. It helped them understand the drivers that exist and how effective business operations can increase revenues and decrease costs.

People make things more complicated than they have to be. For example, read comments attached to many questions asked on LinkedIn. Everyone's always trying to sound smart and be articulate. Business isn't complicated. We make it that way often. The most simple way to align finance and non finance is to find out what makes both departments tick. Find common ground that is beneficial to both departments. Trust and verify delegated tasks. I trust you to do the job but I'm going to verify you did it. Employees don't own the company they work and go home to their lives. They won't care as much as owners or board members etc.. In the real world, people want to know what's in it for them. Create the opportunity for them to thrive with you.

Easy, right!? One on the challenges I faced is where different team members are all at different levels of knowledge and understanding of the business and finances. Adding to it was team members working in different countries or where English was not their first language and many terms used don't easy translate or they have a completely different term. Much of this again comes down to Organisational Culture and willingness to share and discuss a broader range of subjects and topics in team meetings. Unless some staff understand the reason why a manager is taking the time to teach them new aspects of business management, they can easily lose interest. Sometimes, it's simply just facilitating work/social events to connect team members.

Pelas diferenças de conhecimento sobre determinados assuntos, uma comunicação falha pode colocar em risco o atingimento dos objetivos da Cia., logo uma coisa que parece simples, um e-mail, um memorando, que poderia resolver torna-se um grande problema com informações desencontradas e sem valor. Assim, para que isso não ocorra, sempre que necessário, as reuniões de alinhamento de entendimento das informações que devem circular para o atingimento do objetivo, são cruciais em determinados processos.

Training is the most over looked part of many companies. Lack of communication is normally a factor when individuals or departments lack in depth training. The other key to this is to have 1 person for each team that reports back daily exactly where they are at. Lastly, you can't hold others accountable if you don't have clear expectations.

Canais de comunicação são essenciais para a colaboração entre equipes financeiras e não financeiras. Eles facilitam a troca de informações, promovem a transparência, aceleram a tomada de decisões e aumentam a eficiência. Exemplos de canais incluem reuniões multifuncionais, equipes de projeto conjuntas, plataformas online e relatórios. Ao investir em comunicação, as empresas criam um ambiente colaborativo, ágil e inovador.

Completely agree, however it depends on the organisations culture and if team members are interested in learning or if the management team are prepared to share. And let's not forget the time required from managers and teams to undertake shared learning. I previously worked with managers on a 1:1 and included basic financial literacy as part of their PDP. As part of defining an organisational culture plan, I previously created an outline as part of staff onboarding and team meetings that included a few basics every month. Some team members will enjoy learning, others may struggle, others may just not be interested. When I worked with younger entrepreneurs still in Education, I used a few different games (online and board games).

This is truth. Every business needs to be profitable for a ton of reasons. You can't get to where you need to be if you can't see. So many times staff is told we need to hit certain numbers. Explain in detail why the financial side is important. What happens directly and in directly when we fall short. What happens when we do great. Again, it's all about training your staff. People want to do the right things but often times they simply just don't have the full training and don't understand their role and why they are doing it. Knowledge is Power !

A educação financeira nas empresas é um investimento estratégico que traz diversos benefícios tanto para os colaboradores quanto para a organização. Programas de educação financeira ensinam colaboradores a fazer orçamento, diminuem o absenteísmo e turnover, aumentam a produtividade e fortalecem a cultura organizacional. A empresa pode oferecer workshops, palestras, programas online e mentoria. Temas abordados incluem orçamento, investimentos, gestão de dívidas, planejamento para aposentadoria e impostos.

Possible and achievable but don't expect it to be perfect the first time. I'd suggest starting slowly, with one or two KPIs to start with and thinking through how you'd report on them. Country laws and employment contracts should also be taken into account too. Offering bonuses or gifts when meeting additional targets can be useful, however there's also a balance in terms of what a team member is expected to do (as part of their terms of employment) and as additional requests. When I've implemented these incentives myself, I found that some team members pushed back and saw incentive based tasks as 'more work', others thought it was 'part of their job anyway' and others tried to find cracks in the process or reporting to justify an incentive

Align Performance Metrics and Incentives 📈 Ensure that performance metrics and incentives are aligned with common objectives. For instance, if the goal is to increase profitability, tie incentives for both finance and non-finance teams to this outcome. This ensures everyone is working towards the same end.

As estruturas de incentivo são ferramentas usadas para aumentar a produtividade, engajar colaboradores e alcançar metas. Programas de incentivo oferecem recompensas por bom desempenho, criando um ambiente motivador. Benefícios como bônus, participação nos lucros e programas de gamificação são alguns exemplos. Estruturas de incentivo bem elaboradas levam a um melhor clima organizacional, redução do turnover e colaboradores mais satisfeitos.

First set clear, common goals and hold regular joint meetings to ensure open communication. Shared KPIs will track progress. Training programs will bridge knowledge gaps, helping everyone understand financial metrics and their roles. Recognizing collaborative efforts will boost morale. Daily progress reports and clear expectations ensure accountability. Simple, effective communication and social events will foster a collaborative culture, creating long-term value for the company and investors.

O feedback contínuo é uma estratégia para fornecer avaliações frequentes e direcionadas aos colaboradores, auxiliando no seu engajamento e desenvolvimento. Para implementá-lo, é preciso criar uma cultura de abertura, estabelecer canais de comunicação regulares, focar no desenvolvimento e utilizar ferramentas digitais. Ao adotar o feedback contínuo, as empresas observam aumento do engajamento, melhoria na comunicação, desenvolvimento de competências e consequentemente, melhores resultados.

If you're struggling to align finance and non-finance teams, the most underrated step is building relationships. Reach out often, communicate clearly, and explain the purpose of your ask. The finance department acts as a bridge connecting all departments. Start conversations with personal touches—ask about their health and family before discussing work. Show genuine care and solve their problems before asking for favors. Building these connections will make people more willing to entertain your requests and feel bad turning you away.

It is all about bringing people together for a common goal. Let’s not worry about the “department” they fall under. All the labels have convoluted things. Everyone needs to understand the common goals and be part of future planning. Talk openly and transparently on what is working and what is not. Let’s call it work “family” meetings.

It is understanding your audience and how they assimilate information. Usually the financial team are data driven and tend to be risk adverse, more pragmatic or even conservative whereas business developers and sales-oriented team members are more innovative and visual so with that understanding of your audience you must take the time to develop customized presentations to convey the goals and objectives with clear emphasis on how it is only through teaming that as a Company you will achieve those goals. The time to prepare those separate presentations will be rewarded with both groups striving for your common goal.

Team building to help them learn to rely on each other. Take them to climb a mountain together, or a similar setting. Nothing helps better.

Culture and attitude are extremely important. Employees are (justifyably) focused on performance indicadors that reflect on them and their department, and that can come at the expense of the all around health of the company. Cutting costs is great, but not if it jeopardizes client relations. Increasing output is wonderful, but not if the required investment outweighs the added revenue. The big-picture mindset needs to come from the top. Encourage and reward performance that yields holistic results, as opposed to on-paper statistics that show a narrow picture. Ultimately, employees are there to earn an income and to further their careers. Build teamwork and interdepartmental cooperation into a matrix that aligns with their career goals.