Do you want to keep up to date with the latest developments in finance, but you are short of time? Don't worry. CFO South Africa weekly collects 10 of the most important articles from international media for your convenience.
1. Secrets to an Olympic mindset
Imagine that you are at the starting line on an Olympic track, the culmination of many years' hard work and sacrifice, preparing for the biggest race of your life in a stadium filled with 80,000 spectators, floodlights blazing, television cameras trained on you, and the expectations of an entire nation on your shoulders. How would you perform under that kind of pressure?
2. Management accountants expect 6% pay rise in 2016
Pay increases could be coming to 94% of management accountants over the coming year, according to the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' (CIMA) annual salary survey. The average increase expected by the members polled was 6%. In addition to their basic salary, 70% of members around the world expect to receive a bonus in 2016. On average, respondents expect that award to be equivalent to 12.2% of their salary.
3. Why The Chief Financial Officer Must Lead Organizational Innovation
My research over the last decades shows organizations have spent substantial sums on building creativity and innovation capabilities, motivating employees to participate, only to see their innovation investment come to very little. Innovation in many instances fails not because of any lack of intention rather there is a very vital and important element missing from the discussion - the financial leader. In other words, the elephant simply is not in the room. Here are three practical examples that brought me to this conclusion.
4. Examining the Operational Performance of Finance
CFO Research conducted a survey among senior finance executives at large companies around the world to examine the operational performance of the finance function. In particular, we were interested in understanding the readiness of large companies for transforming finance operationsthat is, integrating and streamlining the many different systems and processes that a company typically employs in executing finance's transactional, reporting, and compliance-related activities.
5. How to maximise international career opportunities
International experience is crucial for leadership development as businesses expand across the globe, but some international assignments are better career opportunities than others, research suggests. Swiss and German researchers who studied the career paths of 163 CEOs at some of the largest multinational companies based in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK found four factors that determined whether international experience accelerated career advancement:
6. Inside the mind of a venture capitalist
What do venture-capital firms look for when they back entrepreneurs? With billions of dollars flowing into start-ups around the world, that question has never been more important, nor the answer more consequential. Silicon Valley venture-capital powerhouse Draper Fisher Jurvetson has backed almost two dozen unicornsstart-ups valued at more than $1 billionincluding Box, Skype, Tumblr, and Twitter. Partner Steve Jurvetson reveals what he looks for in entrepreneurs and explains how large companies can respond to disruption.
7. The top development priorities for management accountants
Career progression is top of mind for many management accountants, and the scope of a role and the prospects it holds for promotion are strong motivating factors for those considering their next move. Forty-nine per cent of finance professionals plan to move to a new role within the next two years, according to the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' (CIMA's) annual salary survey, which gathered data from 6,625 members around the world.
8. 8 Powerful Morning Routines of Ultra-Confident People
Exceptionally confident people weren't born that way--they got there by making it a habit and flexing their confidence muscles daily. The ultra-confident know that just like when you skip your breakfast, you won't get very far without your daily dose of confidence in the morning. Thankfully, there are some ways to give yourself an espresso shot of self-belief as soon as you wake up. Start incorporating these rituals, and your whole day will eventually snowball into true, long-lasting belief in your fantastic abilities.
9. FDs and CFOs willing to promote employees without offering pay rise
RESEARCH from Robert Half UK has found securing promotion is no guarantee of a pay rise for CFOs, as 94% of finance professionals would elevate an employee into a new role without offering any additional remuneration. The primary motivation for chief financial officers and finance directors promoting employees without offering a pay rise is because they believe employee performance in the new role needs to be assessed first.
10. 10 Qualities The Best Managers Have In Common?
It's the age-old question of leadership: do you want to be loved or feared? Most management experts would tell you that the old, hyper-masculine stereotype of the boss who leaves his employees shaking in their boots is not the best model to follow in a modern work setting. But how do you get employees to love you?
