This document provides a template for a finance organization to gather input from its members and set goals to better serve clients. It includes sections for team members to assess the organization's current performance, client needs, and how the organization should respond. Members are asked to evaluate the organization's completion of tasks, problem-solving, knowledge transfer, research, and advancement of the profession. They also assess what the organization does well and what is outstanding from both the staff and client perspective. Using this input, the organization can then draft goals aimed at activities, client engagement, leadership, change management, and team development to improve its performance and better meet client needs.

1. “Bringing Continuous Enhancements to Clients”
Strategy & Goal Setting Template for Financial Planning &
Analysis (FP&A) Organizations
By Costolino Hogan
December 2015

2. 1
Purpose & Objective
The purpose of this template is to drive a client focused, collaborative goal setting process for a
internal FP&A organizations.
Directions: Annually each member of finance team should provide input in the following four (4)
sections. Then Finance organization leaders would take the combined information to inform
strategies and goals for a given year.
Finance Organizational
Assessment
The purpose of this section is to gather input from each member of a finance team on the
organizations present service to its clients
AssessStatusof Client The purpose of this section is to gather team member input on two (2) issues:
- What Finance team members feel the organization does well versus what is it important but
outstanding
- What Finance team members feel their clients think they do well versus what is important to clients
but outstanding
Finance Organizational
Response
The purpose of this section is to gather team member input on how the finance organization should
respond to client needs
Finance Organiztional Goals The purspose of this section is to get team member input on possible goals to respond to client
needs

3. 2
Finance Organizational Assessment – Research Centric Evaluation
Each member of a Finance team should move the bar representing their organization to an area on
the graph that best displays what the team is presently providing clients. The definition of each
types of services is listed below. A sample is on the next slide.
Completing
Task
Problem
Solv ing
Transferring
Know ledge
Researc h & Offer
New Theories
Value to
Clients
Types of Services
Definition ofServices
- Completing Tasks= Prov iding reports+ planning serv ices+ v ariance analysis
- Problem Solving = M anaging c ompany proc esses+ leading proc essImprovements+ projec t
management
- Transferring Knowledge = Advising c lientsof rulesof financ e + the financ ial/ ac c ounting rulesof
the organization
- Researching &Offering New Theories= Finding new w aysto analyze financ ial situations+
present framew orksto help ev olve organization thinking related to financ ial management
- Advance the Profsssion/ Create New Content= Synthesis know ledge gained from researc hing
existing framew orksand theoriesto c reate new original frameworksthat help driv e disc ussions
in the financ e profession. Thisspec ific ally inv olvesc reating new c ontent
Adv anc e the
Profession/Create
New Content
Finance Team
Performance

4. 3
Finance Organizational Assessment – Sample
Outlined below is a example of how each member of a Finance team should move the bar
representing their organization to an area on the graph that best displays what the team is
presently providing clients.
Completing
Task
Problem
Solv ing
Transferring
Know ledge
Researc h & Offer
New Theories
Value to
Clients
Types of Services
Definition ofServices
- Completing Tasks= Prov iding reports+ planning serv ices+ v ariance analysis
- Problem Solving = M anaging c ompany proc esses+ leading proc essImprovements+ projec t
management
- Transferring Knowledge = Advising c lientsof rulesof financ e + the financ ial/ ac c ounting rulesof
the organization
- Researching &Offering New Theories= Finding new w aysto analyze financ ial situations+
present framew orksto help ev olve organization thinking related to financ ial management
- Advance the Profsssion/ Create New Content= Synthesis know ledge gained from researc hing
existing framew orksand theoriesto c reate new original frameworksthat help driv e disc ussions
in the financ e profession. Thisspec ific ally inv olvesc reating new c ontent
Adv anc e the
Profession/Create
New Content
SAMPLE
Finance Team
Performance

5. 4
Assess Status of Client
Each member of the Finance team should provide input on what they feel the team does well versus
what they feel is important but outstanding
Also they should provide input on what they think their clients feel the team does well versus what
the client feels is important but outstanding
What staff iseffective
at doing?
What isimportant, but outstanding
Staff
Client

6. 5
Finance Organization Response
Each member of the team should provide input on how they think the Finance organization should
respond to what staff and clients feel is important.
Overall Approach Description
Team Development
Client Engagement
Processess
Projects

7. 6
Finance Organizational Goals
Each member of team should provide draft team goals based on the information in the prior slides.
The goals will be gathered and discussed by Finance organization leadership.
Draft Goal
Successful
("CompletesCore Tasks")
Excellent
("Further Transperancy")
Exceptional
("AnticipatesNeeds& Innovates")
Day to Day Activities 1.
Client Engagement 2
Leadership 3
Change Management 4
Team Development 5
2016 Finance GoalsPerformance Scorecard