The Controller Series of courses will help you learn to lead where there is no path, over the course of 8 1-hour online learning modules.
Course ID: CSL1
Controller Series Level 1 – 8 Module Bundle
Learning Objectives
- Determine how to set the context for a financial analysis with a corporate overview
- Identify the key skills of quality leadership
- Recognize how to communicate with the different types of personality styles effectively
- Tricks and shortcuts to improve Excel use for your staff
- Apply the principles of internal controls and identify the necessary ingredients of an effective system
- Identify the types of feedback and when to use each, as well as the barriers and blind spots in receiving feedback
- Identify top roadblocks to adopting a fast close and determine the tradeoff between internal controls and fast close processes
- Develop strategies to avoid future potential career ending mistakes
Major Topics
Controller Series Level 1 contains the following on-demand modules:
- Insightful Financial Analysis: Anyone can “crunch numbers” but it takes special skills to make them meaningful to the user. Financial statements and ratios need to be interpreted correctly using a process that sets the context, identifies the right analysis tools, and makes recommendations in an understandable format. This course will help you present your insights in a way that is insightful and impactful to your client.
- Beginning the Leadership Journey (Currently in-development): As you advance in your career you will need to develop leadership skills to match your level. This course will help you start to develop your leadership skills in three areas: supervision, performance management, and delegation.
- Communicating for Connections with Coworkers, Customers, and Stakeholders: How you communicate with your internal and external customer can make or break your career! We all know how to talk, but how do we make sure we are really connecting with others? This course will discuss different personality styles and demonstrate the different ways to communicate information to them. See how recognizing their personality style(s) can turn communication breakdowns into breakthroughs.
- Must Have Excel Competencies: Excel has long been included in the accountant’s toolbox. Even though Microsoft Power BI and other big data tools such as Qlik and Tableau are becoming more important, Excel is still a “must have” tool. We cover what the accountants of today should know about Excel to improve their efficiency, access data, and gain insights into the company, industry, and economy.
- Establishing, Maximizing, and Communicating Internal Controls: Internal controls are often misunderstood by our coworkers as “things that get in the way.” But a good system of internal controls will support getting work done the right way and protect against the ultimate failure – fraud. This session will review the intent and practical application of the COSO framework for maximum efficiency and protection.
- Sending and Receiving the Gift of Feedback: In our daily professional and personal lives, we are constantly giving and receiving feedback. Feedback is essential to our overall personal and professional development. However, the perception of feedback tends to make the receiver very defensive and the sender seem abrasive. This course will provide strategies to give and accept feedback graciously, and provide non-offensive feedback and constructive criticism that encourages the person to work on their opportunities with enthusiasm and empowerment.
- Best Practices: The Soft Close (Currently in development): We have transitioned from a hard and slow close to a soft and fast close. Accountants struggle with the balance between information accuracy and availability. To be successful, accountants must provide quicker information availability to impact organization results. Simply reporting on results is no longer acceptable.
- The Biggest Mistakes That Will Get You Fired (Currently in development): There is plenty of information on what to do to advance your career, but very little is discussed about what can derail your career, or worse get you fired. This panel will discuss the mistakes to avoid as you climb the ladder of success.
Advanced Preparations
None
Who Should Attend
Aspiring leaders and leaders of teams and organizations
Fields of Study
Accounting, Auditing, Business Management & Organization, Computer Software & Applications, Specialized KnowledgePrerequisites
Experience in a leadership role, or those who are working to become leaders.