Coaching for Accountants & Finance Professionals

If you're here now, you’re an accountant or finance professional who has been hired in a new job or been promoted to a new role in your company and it hasn't been going well. You may have been asked to take on a leadership role that was initially exciting, but by now, you don’t feel like much of a leader. 

At this stage, you’re likely feeling overwhelmed. Work isn’t fun anymore. Your personal life and perhaps even your health is starting to be affected. And you don’t know how to change that. 

I know where you’re coming from and I can help. I’m both a professional accountant and an executive coach, serving accounting and finance professionals. I’ve been thrown into new roles with well meaning managers who believed in the “sink or swim” philosophy.  I almost sank. 

I’ve been the “Star” Senior Accountant, who was all of a sudden given a team of accountants without understanding how to delegate, without understanding how to lead. 

I got to where I was in my career through personal hard work and dedication and controlling every aspect of my work. At that stage of my career, it served me to be a “people pleaser” who tried never to say "No" to anyone.

All of a sudden, in my new role, I had to rely on others doing the work. I didn't have the confidence to tell other people what to do because I was worried what they would think of me. I still wanted them to like me. My insecurity led to avoidance and procrastination with important tasks, which in turn led to increased anxiety.  I started to make commitments that I would routinely fall short of. 

Several people sitting at a table taking notes

Because I was overwhelmed focusing on "details", and lost in my own insecurities, the more important work of helping my company create and implement organizational strategy, which was a big part of my new role, took a back seat at great cost to me and the company I worked for. 

Even more importantly, I started to have a lot of anxiety.  Even though I hid that anxiety well, I was not well. I neglected my health. My most important relationships suffered. I started to hate my job. 

So, what happened next?  Well, I did have a couple of things going in my favour. I benefited from an understanding of ownership which gave me time to develop. I also had some mentors, who I could call on for help.  

However, the most important thing I did for myself was to invest in coaching. My coach helped me to understand that new roles require new mindsets. A change in how we approach our work.  

I discovered first hand how coaching can facilitate that change in mindset.

This led me to become passionate about coaching and to become a coach myself. I recognized that, with my skills and background, I am uniquely positioned to help accounting and finance professionals develop the leadership skills to reach the next level in their careers.  

 

Specifically, I help accounting and finance professionals to:

✔ Become comfortable with being visible. This can take the form of leading team meetings, confidently voicing ideas and thoughts at management meetings, networking both within and outside of the company settings.

✔ Find a leadership style that is both effective and suits their own unique personality.

✔ Have difficult discussions with team members and senior management.

✔ Effectively communicate with challenging personalities to get things done.

✔ Spend more time focusing on the important versus the urgent.

✔ Develop an effective time management system to fit your personality.

✔ Develop credibility and respect within your organization.

✔ Learn to effectively delegate.

✔ Stop procrastinating.

 

Interested in learning more?

 

As my Coach, Chris has been very helpful. I’m a business owner and because of our coaching sessions, I am in a much better situation financially and in my personal life. Thank you so much for your help.
— Joe G. St Paul MN