I wasn’t planning to write another blog this week.
But then I read Relationship-building Key for CFOs Seeking Operational Experience by Emily Chasan in the Wall Street Journal’s CFO Journal.
Cary McMillan, former CFO of Sara Lee was interviewed, and was quoted saying:
Chief financial officers wanting to move higher up in the C-suite should look for opportunities to build relationships with their firm’s customers, and sales and marketing teams.
Hmmm. Sounds like good advice. The kind of advice you’d get if you read Road Map to Successful CFO Relationships.
Relationships Matter.
They matter if you are looking to move up in the C-Suite. But where relationships really matter is in the CFO function you are in today.
A Great CFO does more than just manage the financials. He or she is a key partner in running an organization. To be that business partner, you need to be part of the business. To be part of the business, you have to have solid relationships with ALL sides of the Relationship Map – the people you work for, the people you work with, the people that work for you and the people on the outside of your organization who you could not do without. All of these people are critical to your success.
What have you done today to build your relationships with the people on your CFO Relationship Map?