Interpersonal Skills for Accountants
Accounting is one of those subjects where some people run the other way if it comes up in conversation. So if you are an accountant that interacts professionally with other humans, well, its highly advisable to take a step back and make sure you have well developed interpersonal skills.
In essence, it’s making sure your ability to interact with your colleagues and clients is well developed. But what do we mean by interact.
An online dictionary defines interpersonal skills as “connected with relationships between people”. And that covers interacting quite well.
Why are interpersonal skills so important in accounting
Finance and accounting are crucial parts of any business, and of course if you are in practice, then accounting is your business. So being able to impart your knowledge in a coherent, impactful, clear and precise way is essential. More than that – it is also essential that you can assess if your audience (be that one or more people) have understood what it is you are sharing.
What are the key areas of interpersonal skills in accounting
This is a great question. It’s great because I like the answer – interpersonal skills are important in almost all areas of accounting. Let’s consider specific key areas where your interpersonal skills will be very usefully despatched:
- Team/Line Management: Wow, who wants a boss or team lead with poor interpersonal skills? Precisely no one. How are you sharing the details of the key tasks to be completed? Are you clearly understood? How about accepting and maneuvering around push backs and challenges? Do you recognize from what someone says, how they are motivated?
- Finance Business Partner. Absolutely essential to have excellent interpersonal skills as an accountant in this role. You are in essence the link between finance and operations. How are you sharing your commercial insights and the periodic analysis of the P&L and balance sheet. How is your delivery being received?
- CFO interactions with investors. From the AR clerk to the most important CFO presentations it is essential that the interpersonal skills for accountants are well developed within your company.
In essence, the ability to communicate with another person is a very very useful to highly develop.
Can you help us learn interpersonal skills for accountants
Absolutely. It will be a great pleasure to discuss with you your learning objectives. Interpersonal skills can be taught in a course (in-house or online) and most certainly developed as part of a 1-2-1 coaching program. Please use the contact us form to reach out and we can get a call in the diary. We don’t just understand in great detail the work of an accountant – we are very passionate about personal development, which includes interpersonal skills.