The role of the finance leader is changing. Before long, your colleagues may see you more as a journalist or storyteller — able to unearth critical facts, share a compelling narrative, and deliver the headlines that your decision-makers need today. But how's this possible?

Now, more than ever, the FP&A profession stands to propel itself forward as the premier business partner for Commercial and Operational teams. While FP&A content trending today may center around technological advances, the focus herein will instead shift to the bedrock principle that defines the FP&A profession: striking the proper balance between analytical depth and high-level storytelling. 

Every month the Managing Director or Country Manager has to report the business results to the CEO or internal board. Depending on the corporate structure, there are different narrative reports, each with a different focus. This defines the role of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) and the information that needs to be collected for future growth. Two opposite cases will make the same point.

As an FP&A leader in your organisation be a gentle guide and rigid challenger. Question decisions made with you or just in your presence. Encourage reliance on financial data, not an exchange of opinions.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words… Telling a story is one of the most important tasks FP&A professionals are facing, and data visualization is a powerful tool to reveal stories. This tool can help filter out the noise and generate valuable business insights.

To provide the best support to the business leaders, FP&A needs to quickly leverage the accounting information at hand. This article covers three critical aspects of telling the business story behind the numbers.