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FROM: SEP-OCT 2009 ISSUE | BY MERGE GUPTA-SUNDERJI
Cuniculus albus erat, qui gradu citato reveniens sollicite circumspectabat, quasi aliquid amisisset. Alicia eum sibi mussitantem audivit: “Ducissa! O Ducissa! Per meos pedes!” Chances are you didn’t understand a word of this … unless you’re a student of Latin. (It is the beginning of the 4th chapter of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll.)
I’m looking at yyz-ewr-iah-yul-yvr for a mileage run next week. I checked the skeds, and the yul-yvr leg usually has deadheading crew that can bump rev pax in the J cabin. If you’re in yvr, you can plan on a tpac for a better mr.
Chances are you didn’t understand this either, even if you work in the airline industry. And you are likely wondering what this gibberish has to do with your professional development as an accountant. But have you ever thought about what you might sound like to your clients and non-financial colleagues?
Consider this one-sided conversation recently overheard in the hallway of a large, natural resource company: The operations side of the business is looking very good. ROI, EPS, and PE ratios are up, and quick liquidity is encouraging. Unfortunately though, we’ve had some problems with several year-end adjusting entries and accruals as they’re apparently not in compliance with GAAP. No worries though, the off balance sheet items stayed under the radar with the auditors, and so did our switch from straight-line to declining-balance. The primary focus was on SOX compliance and we passed that with flying colours.
The person talking was an accountant, and the two listening (and trying to understand) were an engineer and a geologist. From the blank looks on the listeners’ faces, it was clear the accountant could have been speaking Latin. You would never dream of speaking to business colleagues in a language they did not understand, but without even realizing it, you might fall into jargon-laden conversations with your customers and co-workers.
As a professional and a leader, you have a responsibility to communicate clearly and effectively. It is worth remembering that in every communication there are two parties – the sender and the receiver. For the communication to be effective, the message must be sent successfully, but must also be received and understood by the receiver. As the sender, you may think you communicate very well, but if the receiver doesn’t understand then you have failed in your objective. As accountants we are guilty of often speaking a language of our own.
So how do you overcome the lingo trap that is so easy to fall into? Awareness. An appreciation and understanding of who your audience is, and recognition of your own natural tendency to fall into the slang and terminology of your profession. Make a conscious effort to use plain language in all your interactions. If you work with a group of people, have some fun with this – set up a penalty jar. Every time someone uses jargon, have them put a dollar in the penalty jar. Not only will your communication skills improve, but you may have enough money for pizza or donuts at the end of the month.
Even if you work with people who speak “your language,” make it a point to reduce the jargon you use. Not only will you be more successful at ensuring others understand and act on your messages, people will appreciate talking to and learning from you. As a result, you will cultivate a satisfying reputation as an exceptional communicator. Bottom line: improving your working relationships starts with improved communication. And that starts with speaking a language others understand.
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