I read some 100-120 books annually, I skim probably a hundred others. I read dozens of whitepapers and journals just to keep my mind sharp during any 12-month period. While FP&A bleeds every beautiful color in my veins, books on the topic generally range from being dull to lifeless. That’s why our team started scoping out FP&A Directors to interview for our podcast. Our first selection included some luck and did not disappoint.
[Read more…] about A Global FP&A Director Talks Technology, Methods, and People
Jean Cunningham, a Former CFO’s Perspective on Lean
One of the best books I’ve ever read on LEAN from a CFO’s perspective is Real Numbers by Jean Cunningham, one of the co-authors of that book. I was deeply thankful we could pull Jean out of retirement for this insightful and informative discussion about the mindset and methodology of LEAN, which is about continuous improvement with respect for people. We discuss the goals of lean, plain-language financial reporting, the one-day close, kaizen, unit costs, her other books, and much more.
[Read more…] about Jean Cunningham, a Former CFO’s Perspective on Lean
Practical Performance Measurement with Stacey Barr
Stacey Barr is the author of Practical Performance Measurement and Prove It!. She’s also the creator of the PuMP® framework which I believe is by far the best mental construct for learning and implementing performance measurements successfully in any organization large or small. This Australian-based teacher and consultant did not set out to be a performance measurement specialist. While she had a strong penchant for math and statistics, she first had her sites set on the medical profession.
[Read more…] about Practical Performance Measurement with Stacey Barr
What’s Your And?
What is your and? That is, what do you do outside work? That’s the topic of this episode of CFO Bookshelf. Our guest is a former PwC internal auditor turned stand-up comedian. John Garrett is now preaching a message of better corporate cultures through speaking and consulting, and he is the author of What’s Your And?
[Read more…] about What’s Your And?
People Skills for Analytical Thinkers
Once upon a time, I was all business. I was overly analytical and a bit too direct on every project I worked on. I was never mean-spirited, at least I didn’t think I was. I just thought everyone should be like me when working on critical projects. Four years into my career, some people who cared about me said, “Mark, you’re smart, but you need to go to charm school.” That was a transformational experience.
[Read more…] about People Skills for Analytical Thinkers
Mr. Smith Goes to Prison
From serving a term as a Missouri Senator, he went on to serve one year and a day at a federal correctional institution in Clay County, Kentucky, a county once named the unhealthiest in the country. I first heard Jeff Smith in a radio interview with Mark Reardon on KMOX in 2015. The book they were talking about was Mr. Smith Goes to Prison. I wound up purchasing the book and read it in nearly one sitting. In this conversation, we talk about this book, and the docuseries, College Behind Bars.
[Read more…] about Mr. Smith Goes to Prison
The Education of a Value Investor
I have read many investment books over the past 30 years, and one of the titles easily in my Top 5 is The Education of a Value Investor by Guy Spier. In the world of value investing, Guy needs no introduction. He’s been interviewed hundreds of times and he’s also been a Talks at Google presenter. With thanks to another author, Guy gladly said he’d join the show, and he certainly delivered.
[Read more…] about The Education of a Value Investor
Visual Thinking Tools
As my consulting practice started taking off about twenty years ago, I started reading everything I could by Fred Nickols, who blogged regularly for the software vendor, SmartDraw. Fred’s articles were concise, to the point, and consistently included a straightforward visual framework that was easy to understand. Fred is a long-time consultant who refers to himself as a solutions engineer. In this conversation, we talk about his favorite frameworks and the origins of those mental models.
[Read more…] about Visual Thinking Tools
Beyond the Boxes and Lines with a Chief People Officer
We live in a business era where the fractional chief executive officer is becoming indispensable. Before considering hiring a fractional CMO or CFO, I’d always start with a Fractional Chief People Officer, such as Susannah Robinson. She has worked in big-company HR for more than twenty years and has written a simple and pragmatic guide on organizational design for small businesses. In this conversation, we discuss her new book, Beyond the Boxes and Lines.
[Read more…] about Beyond the Boxes and Lines with a Chief People Officer
The Early Investments of Warren Buffett
When I read a book on Buffett, and there are many, I want to know if this book has been written before—the ones where the narratives state the same thing about Buffett’s investing style. In the case of Brett Gardner’s new book on Buffett, he checks all the boxes of a fascinating investment book. It’s informative, inspiring, and even entertaining. More importantly, the book Buffett’s Early Investments is not a rehash of Buffett material you’ve read before.
[Read more…] about The Early Investments of Warren Buffett