One of the great things about running open enrollment workshops within a corporation is that you get a cross-section of managers participating, not all from the same silo. Mixed functions sit together on teams, and typically argue for decisions to be made with the priorities familiar to their particular function.
Sales says, “Drop the prices, or the other teams will undercut us, and we’ll be shut out of the market.”
Finance says, “Raise the prices, or we’ll never make any money.”
And after a few rounds, when Sales have had their way and lost money, and Finance have had their way and been shut out of the market, and everyone is struggling to survive, the arguments become reversed. With fresh insights into business, and with new respect for the difficulties of other departments, Sales is advocating raising prices, while Finance is trying to lower them.
So although we often think of our workshops as “Finance for Non-Finance Managers”, there is just as much to learn for the Finance Managers as well – because they, like all others, tend to live and have their backgrounds within a single department. But to run a healthy business, the value of each department needs to be understood, and its needs and priorities have to be taken into effect.
Each department has new things to learn, and familiar insights to teach.
Therefore, depending on who we’re talking to, we also proudly refer to such workshops as “Non-Finance for Finance Managers”. Business Acumen for Everyone.