---

Whether you’ve started or your months away, now is the time to get started. Do you have a job description? If you don’t you could start by doing a search online for any relevant job descriptions. Try getting two or three and consolidate all the different duties. Then review to make sure that all the important duties are there. This is imperative if you are the top Accounting person in the organization and should have an understanding if you report to a more senior person who is responsible for the Accounting of the organization. The following are some of the responsibilities that an Accounting Manager, Controller, VP or Director of Accounting or Finance, CFO etc. may be responsible for:

 

Main Responsibilities of the Accounting Department

Accounts Payable	Costing	Inventory Management
Accounts Receivable and Billing	Credit & Collection	Leases
Annual Audit	Financing	Managing Business Risk
Asset Management	Financial Statement Analysis	Payroll and Benefits
Bank Reconciliation	Financial Statement Preparation	Policy and Procedure Development
Budgeting	Financial Reporting	Pricing
Cash and Investment Management	Forecasting	Process Improvements
Cash Disbursements	General Ledger Maintenance	Sarbanes Oxley
Cash Receipts	Grants and Subsidies	Staff Training/Mentoring/Appraisal
Compliance with Government	IFRS or ASPE	Strategic Planning
Contracts Administration	Insurance	Tax Planning
Cost Reduction	Internal Controls	Year-End

Determine the Gap

Now that you’ve determined what you are responsible for, measure your skills and knowledge with what has to be done. Determine the gap and decide how to fill it. Do you need a course, webinar or buy a book. Then schedule how you will fill that gap and do it.

Too many individuals take a course, webinar or buy a book and either don’t read it or do; then won’t do anything with the information they have learned. One thing that I do after taking a course, webinar or buy a book is immediately put into action what I have learned. For instance one of the gaps I had on my first job as a manager was public speaking. Wow isn’t this a surprise. This will probably be on everyone’s list. I needed to work on mine as there would be many more instances where I would be doing presentations, meeting with Senior Management meeting with outside stakeholders etc. There are many fine organizations.

I choose Toastmasters which is a fine organization who is dedicated to communication and leadership development. Toastmasters are global and probably have a group in our area. There was also The Christopher Leadership Group; who in their own words say: “The Christopher Leadership Course of National provides a welcoming and supportive environment where you will build strong leadership skills and learn to overcome your fear of standing up in front of a group to speak.” In addition I’ve heard great things about Dale Carnegie Training and there’s always speaking coaches as well.

 

---

Excerpt from Paul J. Calleri’s up and coming book on Management Excellence.

Paul J. Calleri is a CPA, CMA, principle of TheGAAP.net and entrepreneur

---

 

Visit TheGAAP.net daily to be kept up to date on accounting information, trends and changes.

Visit also for your CPD needs:

http://thegaap.net/professionaldevelopment/

Thank you for making TheGAAP.net your source for keeping up to date on accounting.