Every time I explain what we do at Financial Training Australia, I receive confirmation of the ongoing need – not rocket science maybe – but why is there such a need?
Yes, we deliver Financial Training – no surprise there! However, we are all about working with our corporate clients to improve the financial acumen skills of their managers – in a very practical and relevant way. Every program is developed for each client to meet their financial objectives, using their reports, their dashboards, their KPIs and their terminology. Of course, there are some great generic educational programs available but unless those programs can be applied by the participant, is that investment potentially wasted? We all know the saying – ‘Use it or Lose it!‘
Many managers find themselves being given budget responsibility without any training – maybe a small one at first, but then they get promoted and promoted etc. and soon they are responsible for a multimillion-dollar budget and it is a bit late to admit they do not understand it! Does this relate to you? We provide a training environment where there is no such thing as stupid question and we ensure no one loses face.
Financial training that is practical, engaging, and beneficial
We try to ensure that each key training message answers the question ‘So What?’. Is this practical, what does it mean for the participant and importantly, can they go away and apply it?
With adult education and training, we only have one opportunity to get the message across – and that is when they are in our sessions. Let’s face it, most managers are time poor and they are unlikely to go away and read through lengthy workbooks or reference material – they are not studying for an exam! I have heard some finance professionals think that watching a TED talk is the way to go but I would dispute that – it might be educational but is it going to be applicable to their own situation? We need to engage them! We need to show them the WIIFMs. (‘What is in for me?’) That means the training needs to be practical and of benefit to them.
And most importantly, not boring!
Finally, the training needs to not be boring – a challenge you might think when it comes to financial acumen! (BTW I won a new client years ago who found us by Googling “Finance Training boring!” – they did not have to include the ‘not’ in the search!) So, we try to entertain, make the sessions fun, have a laugh and, on Zoom, we run masses of anonymous polls and icebreakers exercises! A director, at the management development centre where I was trained in instructional design and facilitation, used to say, “Leave them wanting more!” I think we do that!
If any of this aligns with a current identified training need for your organisation and you would like to discuss it with me, please drop me a note or give me a ring on 0413942803.
