FP&A Leaders: Are your forecasts being treated as a report, or a strategic mandate?

Every FP&A Director knows the frustration: You spend weeks building a flawless financial model, only to have the C-suite treat your presentation like a simple history lesson, not a roadmap for the future.

The problem isn't the data. It's the Narrative Gap.

Moving beyond reporting the past to driving the future requires a critical shift in communication:

❌ Shift from Analysis to Influence
Stop presenting 50 slides detailing variance.
Start framing the top 3 variances as immediate strategic challenges that require their budget allocation.

❌ Shift from Accuracy to Clarity
Stop defending every cell in your spreadsheet.
Start structuring your discussion around Scenario A vs. Scenario B—giving them clear options for decision-making.

❌ Shift from Information to Trust
Stop waiting to be asked a question.
Start preemptively communicating the risk and ROI of your recommendation, solidifying your role as a trusted strategic partner to the CEO.

High-level FP&A requires you to lead through the financial data.