Last updated on Jul 10, 2024

Here's how you can future-proof your business reporting skills.

In an ever-evolving business landscape, the ability to adapt and update your skills is crucial. Business reporting, a core component of professional communication and analysis, is no exception. To stay ahead of the curve, you need to ensure your business reporting skills are not just current but also resilient enough to withstand future changes. This means embracing new technologies, understanding emerging trends, and refining your analytical capabilities. By proactively enhancing your skills, you can make yourself indispensable and maintain a competitive edge in the field of business reporting.

1 Embrace Tech

The first step in future-proofing your business reporting skills is to embrace technology. Familiarize yourself with the latest data analytics tools and software that can automate and streamline reporting processes. Understanding how to work with these tools will not only improve the efficiency of your reports but also the quality of insights you can deliver. Technology evolves quickly, so make it a habit to stay updated with new releases and updates that could benefit your reporting.

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Elisandro Tavares

Agilista | Agile Coach | Scrum Master | Gerenciamento de Projetos | Desenvolvimento TI | Product Owner | Product Manager | PMO | PMI | PMP | PSM | PSPO | SAFE | PAL | DASSM | PSP | OKR | Setor Financeiro
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Ultimamente tenho utilizado o Canva para elaborar e aprimorar os meus relatórios, inclusive utilizando as features de IA para elaborar elementos como roadmaps e capas que representem a mensagem que quero passar. Ainda estou tendo dificuldades para fazer com que a IA gere os resultados desejados mas consegui evoluir bastante.

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Ricardo Carreira

Gerente Comercial | Gerente de Vendas | Gestão de Pessoas | Experiência Cliente | Digital | Marketing
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Preparar suas habilidades de relatórios de negócios para o futuro envolve uma combinação de conhecimentos técnicos e habilidades interpessoais. Acompanhe as tendências tecnológicas, como a inteligência artificial (IA) e a análise de dados. Compreenda como essas tecnologias podem impactar os relatórios de negócios. Desenvolva sua capacidade de analisar dados e identificar padrões e tendências relevantes. Isso inclui habilidades em estatística, visualização de dados e interpretação de resultados. A tecnologia está mudando a forma como nos comunicamos. Desenvolva habilidades interpessoais, como empatia e colaboração, para trabalhar bem em equipes multidisciplinares, participe de cursos e workshops para sempre se atualizar.

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Owen Rice

Enterprise Risk Management @ Rocket Companies | Cyber Risk Strategy, Reporting, and Analytics Leader | CCEP®, CC℠, PMI-ACP®
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I find generative AI incredibly helpful for building outlines for reports, and getting suggestions about what metrics matter when building reports.

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2 Analyze Trends

To remain relevant in business reporting, you must be adept at analyzing trends and translating them into actionable insights. This involves keeping a pulse on industry movements, economic indicators, and consumer behavior patterns. By being able to identify and report on these trends, you can provide valuable foresight that could influence strategic decision-making within your organization or for your clients.

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3 Enhance Skills

Continual learning is non-negotiable in future-proofing your business reporting skills. Take advantage of online courses, workshops, and seminars that focus on advanced reporting techniques, financial analysis, and strategic communication. Expanding your knowledge base will not only refine your current skill set but also prepare you for the complexities of future business challenges.

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4 Network Smartly

Networking is a powerful tool for staying informed about the latest in business reporting. Connect with peers, join professional associations, and participate in forums where you can exchange ideas and learn from others. A strong network can provide insights into industry best practices and alert you to changes on the horizon that could affect your reporting process.

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5 Stay Agile

Agility in learning and adapting to new reporting methods is essential. Be open to feedback and willing to adjust your approach as necessary. This means being flexible with the formats and platforms you use for reporting. Whether it's a shift towards more visual data representation or adopting a new writing style to suit different audiences, staying agile will ensure your reports remain effective and engaging.

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6 Think Ethically

Lastly, an often-overlooked aspect of future-proofing your business reporting skills is understanding the importance of ethics. Ensure that your reports are not only accurate but also uphold the highest standards of integrity. This includes being transparent about sources, avoiding conflicts of interest, and maintaining confidentiality when required. Ethical reporting will build trust and credibility, which are invaluable in the long term.

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Uttam S

ACA | FAFD & Ind AS Certified | Financial Reporting | Compliances | Internal Audit
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Ethical reporting contributes to the sustainability of the businesses by fostering a positive reputation and maintaining good relationships with stakeholders. This can enhance the company’s ability to attract investors, retain customers and recruit talented employees.

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Owen Rice

Enterprise Risk Management @ Rocket Companies | Cyber Risk Strategy, Reporting, and Analytics Leader | CCEP®, CC℠, PMI-ACP®
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Keeping ethics in mind when building reports is extremely important. It’s essential to ask yourself questions about accuracy and integrity of data, as well as transparency about the caveats, carveouts, and qualifiers associated with insights. I also find it important to make sure that another person can replicate the figures and calculations you use in case there are compliance or ethics concerns.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Here's how you can future-proof your business reporting skills.

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1 Embrace Tech

2 Analyze Trends

3 Enhance Skills

4 Network Smartly

5 Stay Agile

6 Think Ethically

7 Here’s what else to consider

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