Get Smart: Stop Doing Dumb Things
I’ve been speaking to finance managers and executives around the country fairly often this year. Many of these recent engagements have taken place at dinners, where the wine and the discussions tend to flow freely as the evening progresses.
One of the most common (and most candid) comments I continue to hear relates to the challenge of taking on additional work – more priorities – without adding either money or manpower due to tough economic times. Most finance managers I speak with want to support the changes they are being asked to make, but they are overwhelmed by yet another “A” priority. What so many finance managers are really looking for is a way to carve out time and space to take on this new and crucial work without increasing costs. In our late-night discussions, we jokingly commented that we could take on more if we could find ways to stop doing much of the dumb stuff we often feel compelled to do. These discussions quickly grew into a running list of “Dumb Stuff We Should Stop Doing!” more





