We all make predictions in our personal and professional lives. We base our decisions to marry, buy a house, launch a new product or hire staff on expectations about the future. How can we use best practices and current research to improve our ability to predict the future?
We will examine current best practices in forecasting to help us prepare better budgets and projections. We will also examine budgeting pitfalls and ways to avoid budget traps. We will discuss the risks that cause actual results to vary from our predictions and discuss methods to deal with both known and unknown risks.
Topics Discussed
Making Predictions
- Why great predictions are not intuitive?
- How to separate correlation from causation?
- How to recognize and overcome bias?
- Who is Thomas Bayes and why he matters?
Becoming a Great Predictor
- Why the ability to doubt helps?
- Why it is better to be a fox than a hedgehog?
- How non-conformists change the world
- Learn from the past without hindsight bias
Creating Great Projections and Budgets
- Why the many purposes and types of budgets and projections cause distortions?
- How benchmarking and metrics have changed the budget process?
Why Black Swan Risks Matters
- What is Black Swan risk?
- Why the risk you don’t know can hurt you?
- Protect your company from unknowable risks
Case Studies and Discussion
The course material includes eight group discussions and case studies.
Target Audience
This seminar is for those who prepare, review, evaluate and use budgets and projections.
Level of Knowledge
Intermediate
Acronym
PTF
CPE Credit
8 hours group live
Area of Study
Accounting
Prerequisite
Participants should have at least six months of industry experience and thorough knowledge of financial accounting principles and practices.
Advanced Preparation
Bring a calculator
CFO Series Day 1
Advanced Skills, Made Easy!
| Topics Discussed | Credits |
|---|---|
| Advanced Planning: Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Projections | 2 Accounting |
| Advanced Cost Accounting: Assigning Overhead | 2 Accounting |
| Fixing Your Chart of Accounts | 2 Accounting |
| Avoiding Death by PowerPoint: Create Better Presentations | 2 Software |
Discussion Leader
John L. Daly, Tom Henry, Bill O’Brien or Don Minges
Acronym
CFOS1-20
Scheduling
For John Daly, contact Barb Sullivan: Barb@ExecutiveEducationInc.com, or contact Don Minges, Don@TheKnowledgeInstitute.com
CFO Series Day 2
Developing Credibility – Inside and Outside the Organization
| Topics Discussed | Credits |
|---|---|
| Developing Credibility: Earn Respect for Yourself and Your Team | 2 Bus. Mgt. |
| It’s All About Action! | 2 Bus. Mgt. |
| Effective Internal Reporting: Make Your Message Quick and Clear | 2 Accounting |
| Financial Management: 10 Tips for Success and 13 Signs of Failure | 2 Bus. Mgt. |
Discussion Leader
Bill O’Brien, Dana Johnson, Richard Karwic, Tom Henry or Bob Mims
Acronym
CFOS2-20
Scheduling
Contact: Don@TheKnowledgeInstitute.com
CFO Series Day 3
Emotional Intelligence – What Makes Great Leaders Great?
| Topics Discussed | Credits |
|---|---|
| Emotional Intelligence: The Critical Factor in Success | 2 Bus. Mgt. |
| Motivating the Right Way: Get the Most from Your Staff | 2 Bus. Mgt. |
| Business Ethics: Cases from the Real World | 2 Behavioral Ethics |
| Don’t Be the Messenger Who Gets Shot | 2 Bus. Mgt. |
Discussion Leader
Don Minges, Dana Johnson, Bob Mims, Tom Henry or Richard Karwic
Acronym
CFOS3-20
Scheduling
Contact: Don@TheKnowledgeInstitute.com
CFO Series Day 4
Cash Management - Managing The Lifeline Of Your Business
| Topics Discussed | Credits |
|---|---|
| A/R and A/P: Effective Management Techniques | 2 Accounting |
| Cash Management Techniques | 2 Accounting |
| Cash Forecasting | 2 Accounting |
| Better Meetings: Make Meetings Fun & Productive | 2 Bus. Mgt. |
Discussion Leader
Richard A. Karwic, Paul Harrison, Brian Maturi, or Don Minges
Acronym
CFOS4-20
Scheduling
Contact: Don@TheKnowledgeInstitute.com
CFO Series Day 5
Become More Effective!
| Topics Discussed | Credits |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking for Financial Professionals | 2 Bus. Mgt. |
| Effective Networking: Take Control of Your Career | 2 Bus. Mgt. |
| The CFO’s Role in Compensation and Bonus Plans | 2 Bus. Mgt. |
| MS Word: Advanced Features | 2 Software |
Discussion Leader
John L. Daly, Bill O’Brien, Don Minges or Bob Mims
Acronym
CFOS5-20
Scheduling
Please contact Don@TheKnowledgeInstitute.com
For John Daly, contact: Barb Sullivan – Barb@ExecutiveEducationInc.com
The five 2020 CFO Series days above plus the following alternate day will be available through December 2020.
Alternate CFO Series Day 6
Corporate Performance Management
| Topics Discussed | Credits |
|---|---|
| Corporate Performance Management | 2 Accounting |
| Business Intelligence and Data Analytics | 2 Accounting |
| Driver-Based Budgeting | 2 Accounting |
| Effective Management Accounting | 2 Accounting |
Scheduling
Schedule with Finance and Innovation to provide a two-day series.
Note: We previously offered portions of this seminar under the title Creating the Best Projections You Can.
