Abstract
Many successful non-financial managers aspire to contribute at the larger table of management decision making. To do so necessitates broadening their skills to include financial acumen. For non-financial managers, learning new financial constructs can be daunting, and knowing when to use which tool is challenging. We describe a three-questions-based approach underlying the design and delivery of our successful one-week “Financial Management for Non-Financial Executives” program at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. We use a three-questions-based approach to facilitate the learning process in each of the following four financial arenas that comprise the overarching, larger financial acumen agenda.
 
 
 Modeling the financial effects associated with typical internal operating decision alternatives
 Assessing the impact of operating decisions on the financial statements produced for external constituents
 Assessing the impact of operating decisions on popular financial performance metrics used to compare and contrast companies
 Recognizing and incorporating the basic tax implications applicable to internal operating decision alternatives
 
 
 For each of these four financial arenas, we outline three key questions tailored for each, using one comprehensive example to illustrate the application of our questions-based approach.
Highlights
Continued professional education is a key aspect of any organization’s talent development agenda
We describe a three-questions-based approach underlying the design and delivery of our successful one-week “Financial Management for Non-Financial Executives” program at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business
In response to a widespread demand for non-financial managers to acquire a basic financial acumen competency, many universities and business associations offer programs akin to “Financial Management for Non-Financial Executives”. This program title pertains to the one-week offering designed and delivered semi-annually by the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business
Summary
Continued professional education is a key aspect of any organization’s talent development agenda. Corporate initiatives to accomplish this objective for management-level personnel often entail a blend of on-the-job experiences, mentoring relationships, varied job assignments, professional conferences, online tutorials, and selected offsite topical educational programs. In this latter regard, and in response to a widespread demand for non-financial managers to acquire a basic financial acumen competency, many universities and business associations offer programs akin to “Financial Management for Non-Financial Executives”. This article describes the strategy underlying the Darden School’s successful “Financial Management for Non-Financial Executives” (FMNFE) program design and delivery It depicts the purposeful and effective use of questions “to facilitate [participant] learning and thinking” We believe that question-based learning is an effective, “sticky” mechanism and we want to encourage others to seek applicable means in their environments for the constructive and conscientious use of questions for guiding program architecture and facilitating program attendees’ learning takeaways
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
