Seven attributes that make the perfect finance professional
Intellect, creativity, emotional intelligence, vision, experience, technical skills and a mastery of the digital world are seven key skill areas sought by employers now and in the future
A NEW international study from ACCA has outlined the seven most important attributes to succeed in modern business.
Intellect, creativity, emotional intelligence, vision, experience, technical skills and a mastery of the digital world are seven key skill areas sought by employers now and in the future, the institute found.
To define what the 2016 finance professional must look like, ACCA has developed a set of seven ‘Professional Quotients’ – a mix of technical knowledge, skills and abilities formed with interpersonal behaviours and qualities.
- Technical and ethical competencies (TEQ): The skills and abilities to perform activities consistently to a defined standard. Often based on a professional qualification.
- Intelligence (IQ): The ability to acquire and use knowledge: thinking, reasoning and solving problems.
- Creativity (CQ): The ability to use existing knowledge in a new situation, to make connections, explore potential outcomes, and generate new ideas.
- Digital (DQ): The awareness and application of existing and emerging digital technologies, capabilities, practices, strategies and culture.
- Emotional intelligence (EQ): The ability to identify your own emotions and those of others, harness and apply them to tasks, and regulate and manage them.
- Vision (VQ): The ability to predict future trends accurately by extrapolating existing trends and facts, and filling the gaps by thinking innovatively.
- Experience (XQ): The ability and skills to understand customer expectations, meet desired outcomes and create value.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Helen Brand OBE, ACCA’s chief executive said: “The accountant’s role has been revolutionised over the past decade, with finance professionals becoming leaders, trusted expert counsel and key strategic advisers to organisations whether in the public or private sectors.
“With this metamorphosis comes a requirement for a whole new set of skills. On top of technical excellence, professional accountants now require creativity, emotional intelligence and the vision to lead.”
The full report, along with an interactive test to discover how you stack up against the ‘magnificent seven’ can be viewed online here http://members.accaglobal.com/en/home/professional-accountants-the-future.html