How do accountants communicate

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Skip to main content. Discover our online programs. Get Program Details. In North Dakota, we do work worth doing. Join us, and you can do work worth doing, too. This will take only a moment. What program are you considering? Depending on the nature of your business or employment, you may have a great deal of personal interaction, especially if you're a solo practitioner.

Your role in a large firm may also require many forms of communication. Accountants need to compose a variety of written communications, from simple instruction or thank you letters to clients, to formal reports of their financial conclusions. Some accountants, such as those who engage in forensic accounting — investigating crimes and other legal disputes — need to prepare legal reports and documents. Many accounting recruiters and employers emphasize the importance of writing skills, while expressing dismay at how ill-prepared accountants entering the work force are for this important communication requirement.

You need to be able to communicate verbally, both in person and over the telephone. Being able to explain complex financial issues in simple, layman's terms and answer questions clearly is also important.

Brevity can often be the surest way of ensuring successful communication. The different perception of individuals can lead to conflict within the organisation and thus to a communication barrier, as can the distance between those individuals communicating with each other. This is often overlooked in the business environment and can lead to distortion of information and thus misunderstanding between departments and individuals. Communication cannot take place if there are barriers to the communication process.

These must be recognised and, as far as possible, removed. Barriers to communication can be overcome by consideration of the needs and understanding of the message receivers with careful and clear reporting, clear expression and the avoidance of jargon or abbreviations. The use of more than one communication system can assist, as does the encouragement of dialogue rather than monologue, and of course ensuring that there are as few links as possible in the communication chain.

Communication can often be improved by identifying the appropriate media. Written, verbal or electronic methods, while impersonal, are fast and can be effective. Meetings, interviews and video conferencing require personal, face to face communication and thus interpersonal skills.

Telephone and public address systems should be used only where personal communication methods are difficult. Written communication is very often the most suitable and clearest means of communication and can take many forms: memoranda; occasional or annual reports fundamental in communicating accounting information ; forms; notices; house journals and other forms of standard documentation such as rules and procedures, manuals and job descriptions.

Visual communication is a powerful communication media and is often overlooked. Charts, slides, videos or films provide an immediate and clear message.

Electronic means of communication are increasingly becoming more relevant. Document imaging, telex, fax, the Internet and e-mail are instantaneous and provide clear and fast communication possibilities. The type of communication and the medium used will depend to a greater or lesser extent on organisational structure.