Last week, the Finance for Non-Finance: What the CEO Wants You to Know program was hosted at EWTC member company Baker Hughes in Houston. The program, presented by FranklinCovey, aims to provide employees with C-level insights into how an organization runs so they can align their efforts to the company’s business goals and maximize its bottom line.
Facilitator Jessica McCann shared tools and strategies on financial literacy, helped participants understand their role in strategic decision-making, and increased their understanding of topics such as cash, margin, profitability, velocity, and how to navigate annual reports.
Participants voiced the financial literacy gaps they encounter in their roles and discussed the challenges many professionals face in connecting operational responsibilities to broader financial and strategic business decisions.
During the seminar, participants broke into groups and held partner discussions to work through exercises, engage in case studies and discuss the key elements of business acumen critical to every organization. The breakouts gave participants time to put what they had learned into practice while developing relationships with people they hadn’t worked with before.
“These discussions around customer value, operational velocity and sustainable growth are incredibly relevant. It reinforces that finance is not just for finance professionals. It impacts every part of the business.”
Participants strengthened their understanding of how organizations create value, evaluate performance and connect day-to-day decisions to broader business outcomes.
At the end of the program, participants shared key takeaways from the day, including the value of being able to define and understand common financial language and terminology, as well as becoming more proficient at reviewing actual margins against budgeted goals.
One participant said, “One of the biggest takeaways for me was learning how to actually read and interpret energy market reports and earnings calls. I now have a much better understanding of the metrics investors and executives are paying attention to and how those trends impact our business.”
Another participant shared, “I wanted to better understand the financial side of the business beyond just communications and operations. We connected the dots between everyday decisions and the bigger financial picture, especially around EBITDA, margins, growth and cash flow.”
The next iteration of this program will be virtual and held on June 23. Registration is open.
For more information about Energy Workforce training programs, contact Vice President Programs & Events Peggy Helfert.
Peggy Helfert, Vice President Programs & Events, writes about the Energy Workforce’s sector-specific best practices and leadership. Click here to subscribe to the Energy Workforce newsletter, which highlights sector-specific issues, best practices, activities and more.
