Business acumen

The ability to understand and apply knowledge of business fundamentals, market dynamics, and organisational operations to make sound decisions that drive profitability, strategic growth, and long-term success. It involves an awareness of financial metrics, competitive landscapes, and customer needs, connected with the capacity to align these elements with organisational goals.

“An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.” – Jack Welch

Barrier to business acumen

Inexperience and newness: Leaders who are new to the organisation often lack the necessary experience and familiarity with the business, hindering their business acumen development.

Narrow perspective: A limited viewpoint, focused solely on their specific function, prevents leaders from gaining a broader understanding of the business as a whole.

Lack of interest in general business: Some leaders show little interest in general business matters, focusing instead on their specialised areas, which restricts their overall business understanding.

Limited exposure: Leaders who have not had exposure to areas outside their own function miss out on critical insights and learning opportunities that contribute to robust business acumen.

Over-commitment to the profession: Being overly dedicated to their profession rather than the organisation can result in a myopic view, where leaders excel in their field but fail to grasp the wider business context.

Tactical focus: A tendency to focus on immediate, tactical issues rather than strategic, long-term planning limits a leader’s ability to understand and drive the business forward.

Lack of understanding of business operations: Leaders who do not comprehend how businesses operate struggle to make informed decisions that benefit the organisation.

Outdated knowledge: Failing to stay updated on current and future policies, trends, technology, and information means leaders cannot effectively steer their business in a competitive and ever-changing market.

Ignorance of the competition: A lack of awareness about competitors’ strategies and market positions can lead to poor strategic planning and missed opportunities.

Inability to connect strategy and market dynamics: Leaders who do not understand how strategies and tactics actually work in the marketplace may be unable to align their actions with market needs and organisational goals, resulting in ineffective leadership.

“Great businesses are built on understanding customer needs and exceeding their expectations.” – Richard Branson

Enablers of business acumen

Read the right things: Subscribe to essential business publications/blogs like the Fortune, Harvard Business Review, The Economist or FT. Regularly scan these for relevant articles on business trends, policies, and market insights. Identify at least three key takeaways per issue that relate to your business.

Listen to the right things: Occasionally listen to podcasts, programs or even channels that provide continuous coverage and analysis, such as interviews with leaders and industry reviews. Listen to a few podcasts or programmes weekly so you can stay informed on vital business information and developments.

Connect with your industry: Engage with your industry’s national association(s). Join and participate in their events, conferences, and publications. This will provide specific industry insights and networking opportunities with other professionals.

Gen up on business knowledge: Go out or get online and pick three books covering general business principles, financial insights, marketing, and customer service. Gradually expand your library and consider enrolling in business courses for a deeper understanding. Mooc-List.org is a great resource.

Understand business models: Analyse successful and unsuccessful businesses to refine your ideas about what works and does not. Use these insights to develop a framework for evaluating business scenarios.

Deep dive your business: Study your organisation’s annual and financial reports. Seek guidance from internal financial experts to interpret these documents. Try and discuss strategic plans with the strategic planning team to understand mission-critical functions and organisational goals.

Get your hands dirty: Volunteer for cross-functional task forces and projects like value creation teams. Ideally pick ones that interact with customers so you can participate in delivering value to them.

Get closer to customers: Spend time with the customer service team to understand customer interactions and feedback. Listening to or handling customer service calls can provide valuable insights into customer needs and business performance.

Reflect on the system: Recognise that your business is an interconnected system where changes in one area impact others. Explore your key business drivers and their interdependencies. Share and discuss these with colleagues from different functions to understand broader implications.

Build your expertise: Consult with internal or external business experts to learn their key considerations. Organise business data into categories for easier recall and devise key questions to evaluate business issues.

“The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” – Michael Porter

Reflection questions for business acumen

How often do you read business press? How could you ensure you identify and apply at least three key insights from each issue to your work?

Do you watch business news programmes regularly or occasionally? Which business podcasts, channels and programmes could provide the most valuable insights for your role, and how can you integrate listening/watching them into your routine?

Are you a member of your industry’s national association? How often do you attend their conferences or engage with their publications, and how can you increase your involvement to gain more industry-specific knowledge?

Have you recently read any business books covering general principles, finance, marketing, or customer service? What steps can you take to create a habit of continuous learning through books or business courses? How can you create an effective note taking system?

What businesses would you see as worth exploring to understand their business models? Would using the business model canvas be an appropriate framework, or do you know other ways to understand how a business operates?

How well do you understand your organisation’s financial reports and strategic plans? What actions can you take to deepen your financial literacy?

Have you participated in cross-functional projects or task forces recently? What opportunities can you pursue to engage with different areas of the business and broaden your understanding of its operations?

How often do you interact with the customer, the service team or listen to customer feedback? What steps can you take to get closer to customers and learn from their experiences with your products or services?

Do you consider the wider implications of decisions in your area on other functions? How can you build your systems thinking to understand the interconnected effects of decisions across the business?

How frequently do you seek insights from internal or external business experts? How could you do more of this?

“In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield.” – Warren Buffett

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