CFO Series Day 2 - 360 Degree Budgeting

Objectives

360° Budgeting:  Understanding & Preventing Common Budget Calamities
Most accountants know the basics of the budget process, but is it possible to enhance the process to be more effective, efficient, and even fun?  The traditional budgeting process can produce stale results and fatigue amongst both Accounting and cross departmental leadership.  Organizations often fall into the trap of following the same steps of annual budgeting without weeding out the flaws that creep in.  For large and small organizations looking to refresh the results, purpose, and engagement of their budgeting, several key tools will be discussed that are worth contemplating.  Learn more about the process keys of successful budgets and how to balance the important technical and human components of the process.  We discuss these keys in an engaging manner with thoughtfulness towards understanding our flaws and strengths, including how to build on these characteristics towards an enjoyable solutions-based method that should deliver effective results for your organization.

Topics Discussed
• What are the flaws in the budgeting process?
• Does your budget need an overhaul or just a tune up?
• What are the steps we can take to budget for economic and external factors beyond our control?
• Understanding your own leadership tendencies and applying them to your strengths?
• How to make the budget flexible
• Using traits of the balanced scorecard approach to apply to your budgeting.
• Common budgetary problems and discussion of solutions
• 12 steps towards a better budget and maybe even a better you.

360° Budgeting:  Building Flexible Budget Models
We can all learn from others and improve our budgeting process by listening to our colleagues' wisdom and experience.  This session takes a unique review of the fundamental budget issues faced by all and walks through a detailed modeling process intended to generate discussion and best practices to improve your organization's financial planning.  From the beginning of the accounting process – 'the chart of accounts' to the end of the process – 'the valuation of the company', the budgeting cycle via a live case model to learn best practices common to successful companies. 

Topics Discussed
• How to build a flexible budget model that works?
• How the right Chart of Accounts can simply your work
• How to build a volume sensitive model?
• Budgeting to GAAP and for the Board to understand
• Efficiently modeling payroll and benefits
• Identifying controllable and uncontrollable expense
• Using key variables to stress-test your budget

Managing Budgeting's Soft Side: Avoiding People Issues
You have a fantastic budget, but certain players are not pleased.  Financial plans have a technical component and human component.  We can resolve some of our budget issues by exploring the process' human aspect.  Understanding what makes you and others operate can enhance your understanding of the entire organization and build upon the respect and influence needed to navigate and lead the budgeting cycle.  This session includes a case study that measures an individual's personality type and then explores how to use our strengths and weaknesses to create a better budget process.   

Topics Discussed
• Understanding core personality types
• Learning what type of person you are?
• Managing and coping with the budget team
• Effectively dealing with the A, B, C and other players?
• Connecting through disconnection

360° Budgeting: Presenting and Communicating Your Numbers
Perhaps the most important element of the budget process is its communication.  If management does not understand the budget – there is an issue.  Knowing the right ways to communicate at all levels is essential to stakeholders laying an ownership claim to successful budgets.  This session reveals several key guidelines in successful budget presentations and will identify key problems in how people often communicate financial plans. 

Topics Discussed
• Identifying the 'Big Picture' and your role in communication.
• Communicating so others can understand us.
• Understanding a presentation's anatomy
• Tips and tricks for budget presentations.