Business Acumen Training for Managers, Sales Professionals and Employees
Zodiak®: The Game of Business Finance and Strategy
Powerful Business Acumen Training
Business Acumen — What Is It?
Business acumen is a keen understanding of what it takes for an organization to make money. It combines financial literacy – the ability to interpret numbers on financial statements – with business literacy – recognizing how strategies and decisions impact these numbers.
Consider this example: In team sports, players need to know how the game is scored. To impact the score, they need to know how to play the game. In business, financial literacy is understanding the score and business acumen is knowing how to impact it.
Organizations today need leaders at all levels who can contribute to financial success. That’s why so many of them are offering financial literacy training to executives, managers, team leaders and key employees. However, a basic financial course that focuses on terminology, ratios and financial statements isn’t enough. Instead, the key to producing real results is the development of higher levels of business acumen: going beyond financial literacy to a true understanding of what it takes for a business to make money.
Someone with financial literacy would be able to read a company’s income statement. She would understand terms, ratios and what the numbers on financial statements represent. But employees with business acumen would be able to interpret the same income statement, taking into consideration how company strategies, decisions and initiatives impacted the numbers.
Why is Business Acumen so Important?
When the business acumen of managers, sales professionals and employees increases, they think more strategically and act within the bigger picture context of organizational success.
That means they’ll make more profitable decisions, influence top line revenue generation, and take actions that align with organizational and customer strategy.
For managers: It’s a critical leadership competency - Use it in your leadership development curriculums or leadership events
For sales professionals: It’s a competitive edge - Use it to power your sales training programs or for a sales event
For employees: It’s an alignment with corporate strategy - Use it to train key employees and departments or at company-wide events
Learn more about your Six Zodiak Program Options
- Zodiak: All Industries – This business acumen program works in any industry and can be used to develop your leaders and managers or key employees.
- Zodiak: Service Organizations - This business acumen program works in a variety of service organizations and can be used to develop your leaders and managers or key employees.
- Zodiak: Sales Professionals - This business acumen program will work in any industry and can be used to develop sales representatives, sales managers and marketing and/or sales support personnel.
- Zodiak: EVA® Organizations – This business acumen program will work in any organization using the EVA® measure and can be used to develop managers or employees at all levels.
- Zodiak: Government - This business acumen program was designed for managers and employees in agencies using a working-capital or revolving fund. It is customizable for federal, state or local applications and can be used with managers, leaders and employees.
- Zodiak: HR Professionals - This business acumen program can be used in any industry to develop the business acumen of managers, specialists, team leaders or employees within any HR function.
