Building value with finance power skills

Finance roles have changed to fit within an era powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies. Because of this, the finance function is positioned at the centre of translating financial and nonfinancial information into insights that shape business strategy — creating value for their organisations.

Modern organisations create customer value not just through data, technology, and labour but also through better decisions, faster responses, and smarter use of resources.

That’s where seven key competencies, identified as “power skills” in CIMA research, come in. Power skills are the skills that help you work with others, think critically, and influence decisions. In practice, this could look like an analyst spotting a trend in budget data, discovering the cause, and proposing a solution to their boss.

Power skills are the foundation of many tasks that management accountants complete, from advising clients the supporting decision-making. These are not just career-enhancing actions — they are direct drivers of organisational value.

You may not feel fully confident in your power skills just yet, but don’t let that stop you from believing in your full potential. These seven skills are developed over time throughout your career, and you can start building them today in various ways.

Where insight meets influence

Value-creation in finance is based on the seven power skills:

Communication
Professional scepticism
Analysis
Big-picture thinking
Problem-solving
Recommendation-making
Decision support

Yes, management accountants have keen insights, but it’s power skills that transform them into impact.

What does that look like in action?

Technical skills help produce numbers, but analysis transforms those numbers into concise proposals, professional scepticism identifies any risk, communication accelerates action, problem-solving leads to smarter outcomes, and your support is the basis for a leader’s evidence-based decisions.

With the increasing reliance on technologies like AI, accountants have shifted from numbers producer to numbers validator.

"This traditional form of accounting and finance knowledge is still a bedrock, but what’s changed is what you do with that information … what you learn is probably the same but how you apply it has changed," said Stephen Flatman, vice president of education & professional qualifications at CIMA, in the episode “Power Skills and Core Competencies for an Evolving Profession” of the FM Magazine podcast.

With AI, honed power skills will help you write strong prompts, analyse results, and spot hallucinations and inaccuracies. And with these routine tasks completed by AI, you’re able to operate higher up the value chain and focus on being a strategic business partner.

From technical output to strategic input

When finance teams use their power skills to help the business make quicker, better decisions, they move the whole organisation forward. Decisions are made faster, and clear communication helps reduce delays. Scepticism, analysis, and big-picture thinking not only improve decision quality but decrease mistakes.

“Your knowledge is critical because it not only explains what’s happening, it allows you to predict what might happen next. It allows you to create alternatives”, explained Flatman.

Because these skills enable people to adjust and stay strong in their careers, they can better help their organisations stay flexible and steady during uncertainty.

Power skills are also a unifier: With strong communication and influence, finance professionals can bring teams together around shared goals.

Developing skills that grow your career

“What we’re seeing in finance is a shift up the value chain, very much focusing on analysis, strategy, and value creation”, said Flatman. “The role of the finance business partner is meant to be embedded into the business to help increase value.”

A professional qualification, like the Chartered Global Management Accounting (CGMA®) qualification, can bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application and provide the opportunities to strengthen power skills. Earning the qualification is a signal to employers of your expertise in technical financial knowledge, business acumen, digital literacy, and leadership skills.

The environment in which businesses operate is increasingly complex and the CGMA qualification supports the development of finance professionals who can influence outcomes, support strategy, and create sustainable long‑term value.

Adding value through initiative

Power skills are the must-have skills of an evolving profession. Those who demonstrate these skills add value and show the capacity to continually learn and stand out. These professionals not only identify problems, they bring analysis, answers, recommendations, and influence.

“The people who stand out in organisations are people who say, ‘I’ve been thinking about this and I think we can do something better or we can make an improvement here’”, said Flatman. “These are people who don’t bring you problems, they bring you solutions.”

Ready to launch into an influential career where you can use your technical finance skills to shape organisational decisions and drive value? The CGMA qualification gets you there and you can learn how through the career platform, MyFuture. Access first-person stories, insights into accounting roles, guidance on building in-demand skills, and much more.

Creating value in a changing finance profession

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Where insight meets influence

From technical output to strategic input

Developing skills that grow your career

Adding value through initiative

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