Staff training

[GreenBag53]

Im in a small team and periodically we have to each take a turn to deliver a short staff training session (around 10 - 15 mins) and it can be on anything. Usually people do something related to their position, but I’m the only person in my dept and I really struggle! My job (accounts) is really boring and I know no one else is interested. Please help me come up with some ideas!!

• Why accounting isn't boring: it's what keeps us all in jobs.
• How doing the accounts contributes to the company's survival
• Weird things to do with ledgers [this may be a joke ...]

Surely, you've got some interesting stories, and can use those to illustrate how a company with clear accounting systems is profitable, well-run, and the accounts system keeps the wheels of commerce rolling.

Could you do it on something more generic that you're good at but others may not be - e.g. tips on shortcuts in Excel, Word or Email management, presentation skills, how to make the best cuppa, time management etc?

Share a hobby? Importance of self care?

How accounting can save you money? EG: WFH can get a tax break, little things like that

Maybe the day-to-day aspects of your role are 'boring' in comparison. But, generally, accounting is absolutely vital and people could stand to learn much more.

What about a training session on three 'vitals' of finance:
> Understanding compound interest
> Tax efficient saving
> Pensions

You could do a two-minute overview of each with one key take-home lesson for each:
> Don't touch saved money, let it compound
> Prioritise ISAs
> Pay into a pension as soon as possible, don't take it early

Then you could do the rest of the time as a Q&A.

Ooh there's loads you could do:

Finance buzzwords so people can understand quarterly results.

Budgeting- make it interactive and give them a fake budget then chuck some unexpected events in so they have to reallocate

Expenses - clarify your expenses policy and chuck in some "Valid or Bogus?" Claims for them to assess.

Auditing- do it like an escape room so matching transactions, spotting errors in a ledger, find missing invoices to unlock the next puzzle

Share some accounting scandals and what went wrong, so why accounting is important

What sort of job do you do in accounts? That's relevant.

What things do you wish others in the company understood about your work? What common mistakes do they make? What questions do they ask you most frequently? Do they claim expenses and understand what they can and can’t claim for, and why that is the case? (Some may be company policy, some might be HMRC rules). What things could you get them to do to make your life (and theirs) easier?

Answering those questions might help you come up with ideas as to what to cover.