Before I ever wrote a newsletter, I hesitated.
Not because I didn’t have anything to say, but because I wasn’t sure how to say it.
I’d read so many industry updates over the years that felt like wading through wet cement…
Paragraphs of jargon. Sentences that wandered around the block before making a point (if they made one at all). Advice dressed up to sound clever rather than to be useful.
And I caught myself thinking:
“Is this how I’m meant to talk? Is this what ‘professional’ looks like?’’
Thankfully, no.
Treasury isn’t a place for waffle.
Treasurers are direct. CFOs are direct. And the work demands clarity.
So, I think the communication should match.
After all, talking more doesn’t make the advice better; it just makes it harder to use.
That’s why I made a decision early on…
I’m going to speak to you the same way I speak to clients and candidates: plainly, honestly, and without circling the runway before landing the point.
And that doesn’t mean I’m dumbing things down, rather I’m (hopefully) saying it clearly the first time.
Every treasurer I know is far too busy to decode a newsletter written like a 30-page dissertation.
So in my eyes, straight talking is a professional courtesy.
I’m sure I don’t always get it perfect. I’m human. I’ll meander occasionally. I’ll get passionate about a topic and go off on a tangent. But the intention is always the same:
Say something useful. Say it clearly. Then stop.
And so that’s my advice to you…
Whether it’s an email to a CFO, a board paper, or an interview answer… your goal shouldn’t be to impress, but to be understood.
Clarity beats cleverness every time.
One of the reasons these newsletters work is because I stopped trying to “sound professional” and started speaking like myself. Conversational. Practical. To the point. The same way I talk on the podcast and in meetings.
So, if you want polished essays, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
But if you want something you can actually use, that’s what I’m here for.
Best regards,
Mike
P.S. If there’s ever a topic you’d like me to cover, just let me know. I promise I won’t dress it up.
