Month 3 of your First 90 Days as CFO, the 10-second headlines are: (1) Diagnose the business situation · (2) Lead with the right skills · (3) Create a nutritious balance in your information intake · (4) Plan to create WAVES of change – not a tsunami · (5) Stay alert for common traps
7 Ways to Set Yourself Up for Success in Your First 30 Days as CFO
Create your 90-day plan in your first week or so, even if only in bullets. Specify goals, priorities, milestones and target dates. Share a draft with your CEO and operating partners to create clarity and alignment on how you’ll spend your time, what you’ll do, and what you’ll postpone addressing. Focus on the fundamentals. Neutralize your vulnerabilities. And have these 3 conversations with your boss.
8 Pitfalls to Avoid in Your First 100 Days as CFO
Summary of the 8 PITFALLS to avoid in your first 100 days as CFO:
(1) Avoid the trap of arriving with “the answer” (2) Avoid the “action imperative”, even while you work to secure 2-3 early wins (3) Avoid predictable surprises (4) Don’t lose sight of the fundamentals (5) Don’t trash the past (6) Don’t keep away from your boss (7) Don’t run thru some checklist of what you’ve been doing (8) Never blind-side your boss
How and When Executive Coaching Delivers Value for CFOs and PE firms
CFO Coaching is often sought by private equity firms 1. Soon after a deal-close, or 2. When a “CFO” who was focused primarily on keeping the books aims to develop a more strategic mindset, 3. When a CFO wants to create a high-functioning team , and/or 4. When a CFO desires to hone a stronger executive leadership presence, to assert more influence with colleagues, the CEO and the Board.