Strength In The Numbers Show

"Go to the balcony and look what is happening to you or at the business to gain another perspective” as our guest mentor Susanne Liepmann, who also helps us deconstruct for todays’ episode: • Adopting to different working environment at LBO and B2B company • Some of the things you do to play that balancing act better by going to the balcony • Removing anxiety in the business by; o knowing the “why” in doing the right thing o providing valuable information & show what this looks like o building trust with business partners If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/248. #FinancialMentor #SITN #Uncertainty

With many businesses recently closing their doors and essential services struggling to keep going, what kinds of actions are CFOs & finance teams taking within their organizations to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic? I’ve been compiling a number of resources from conversations I’ve been having with CFOs and I share them with you on today’s bite-sized episode. #FinancialMentor #SITN #Covid19 https://www.ted.com/talks/bill_gates_the_next_outbreak_we_re_not_ready?language=en#t-9886

Over the last two weeks there has been a Virtual Finance World Summit 2020 run by the Outperformer taking place to over 1000 finance leaders across the globe, whilst also facing into the challenges that come with keeping businesses open and essential services running during the Covid-19 pandemic. In this week’s episode we are joined on #sitn by two speakers from the summit and former guest mentors, Lance Rubin & Chris Argent to wash-up some of our key takeaways: - The importance of the yin-yang in Finance. - Using financial modelling as opposed to Data Analytics to get ahead of ahead of a post Covid-19 world. - The opportunity to reconnect with knowledge and embracing new tools like Loom, Zoom, Slack, Trello, etc. - On how to take the right actions during and after Covid-19. - How to build a community and the importance of sharing ideas. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/246. #

In times when things do not go your way what do you do? In Finance one of our key assets is our access to decision-makers and broad visibility of what is going on across most of our organisations and industries, but sometimes we can spend so much time analysing data that we can slow down decision makings too much. So on the odd occasion when our advice does not get taken on board leading to the wrong decision what do you do? I came across a wonderful saying from a German colleague recently that is perfect for such situations and I share this with you on today’s bite-sized episode. The proverb by the way is: “Es wird nichts so heiß gegessen, wie es gekocht wird,” literally, “Nothing is eaten as hot as it is cooked.” #FinancialMentor #SITN #Influence

"If you want your customer experience to be top you need your employee experience to be top as well,” as our guest mentor Jennifer Sturch who also helps us deconstruct on todays’ episode: - Aha moment at McDonald’s on people first and service focus - Best bit of advice Jennifer ever received on personal growth - Learning and improvements made in response to the recent COVID19 incidents - A finance perspective on the effect of employee first approach If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/244. #FinancialMentor #SITN #SharedServices

How did you rate yourself? If I asked you to imagine yourself on a tropical deserted island. The sky is clear. The wind is calm. The sea is smooth. You will be on this island for only a few minutes, don’t worry. Imagine now that you arrived on this island without any roles. Roles such as husband, wife, CEO, accountant, sales manager, engineer, golfer, fisherman, and so on, do not exist on this island. Now, using the scale that follows, rate yourself without any roles. Zero is the lowest end of the scale, and 10 is the highest end. Where do you rate yourself on that scale? What value do you place on yourself without any of the roles that you play out in life? Go ahead and mark the scale now. How did you rate yourself? This is not an uncommon question and in this bite-sized episode I outline the importance of the question, the right answer and how it can help you achieve a more meaningful, rewarding and successful career in accounting & finance. #FinancialMentor #SITN #Identity

"Be comfortable by being uncomfortable” This is what our guest mentor Gaileon Thompson believes is required of the modern finance professional. We also deconstruct on today’s episode: - How to respond to failure; - How to be successful and prepare for roles outside of finance - Walking in the trenches with business partners, how to build skills around; - Leveraging the wider Finance community as a safe space to ask questions to learn and grow If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/242. #FinancialMentor #SITN #Strategic #empower

If you’re feeling a little on edge, uneasy or out of sync lately, that’s completely okay, we’re living through a pandemic and there’s a lot for us to process? Most human beings crave certainty and I’d suggest one group accountants and finance professionals crave certainty much more than other groups, we pride ourselves on fundamental principles like accuracy and consistency. So living and working through a pandemic can be very unsettling for us. Thing is you’re not alone there are a lot of us out there in finance feeling like this, so in this bite-sized episode I outline some suggested things we can all do and are doing to get through these interesting times. #FinancialMentor #SITN #Covid-19 Links mentioned: https://cfo.university/ https://generationcfo.com/ https://www.theoutperformer.co/ https://soundcloud.com/nlpie

“If you build optionality you will be better off in the future even if you don't know what jobs might even exist in five years." suggests our guest mentor Riccardo Calliano, who also deconstructs with us on today’s episode: - How learnings whilst being an FD in Mexico City during the swine flu epidemic can help our organisations and communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. - How we can carve out time to learn and develop new capabilities and addresses the myth of learning and how he learned Python - The importance of building optionality, the hedgehog concept and how it can be applied to our careers. - The two areas that finance need to look at developing more in. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/240. #FinancialMentor #Covid-19 #SITN #Capabilities

What would you have advised? I had a young finance graduate who was halfway into his finance development program at a well-known multinational ask me during the week how could he make a difference in Finance? This is not an uncommon question. I admired his courage for asking for advice at much younger age than I did and knowing that making a difference is important to the organisation and career. On the other hand how did he get this far, after graduating, passing interviews and progressing through the development program without knowing where to look how to make this difference a reality? In this bite-sized episode I outline the final part of a framework I shared with him. #FinancialMentor #SITN #MakeADifference

“We’re not only expected to report the past but to create the future,” suggests our guest mentor Tjendra Halima, who also deconstructs with us on today's episode: - The 4Ps that Finance and Accounting professional must be familiar with in this digital age; - The Competencies required of the future CFO; and - How we’ve a moral obligation to create value for stakeholders not just increase profits for shareholders. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/238.

What would you have advised? I had a young finance graduate who was halfway into his finance development program at a well-known multinational ask me during the week how could he make a difference in Finance? This is not an uncommon question. I admired his courage for asking for advice at much younger age than I did and knowing that making a difference is important to the organisation and career. On the other hand how did he get this far, after graduating, passing interviews and progressing through the development program without knowing where to look how to make this difference a reality? In this bite-sized episode I outline the second part of a framework I shared with him. #FinancialMentor #SITN #MakeADifference

"When the business grows so fast it’s not enough to catch up with it but you have to move ahead of the curve,” according to today’s guest mentor Tanya Kuznetsova, who also helps us deconstruct: - Things to look for to stay ahead of the business growth especially for the retail industry - The idea of having a digital twin to assist in our finance transformation; and - How to improve your success doing internationally assignments by: o Leveraging connections with various financial associations, o Networking with other professionals in other areas, and o Attending conferences - The biggest challenge she faced with moving to and working in America. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/236. #SITN #Treasury #Digital

What would you have advised? I had a young finance graduate who was halfway into his finance development program at a well-known multinational ask me during the week how could he make a difference in Finance? This is not an uncommon question. I admired his courage for asking for advice at much younger age than I did and knowing that making a difference is important to the organisation and career. On the other hand how did he get this far, after graduating, passing interviews and progressing through the development program without knowing where to look how to make this difference a reality? In this bite-sized episode I outline the final part of a framework I shared with him. #FinancialMentor #SITN #MakeADifference

"Be humble, don’t act like a controller or the police inside the organization” As our guest mentor Mohamed ELRouby, will help us deconstruct for today's’ episode where we also: - Being new to the company and spotting problems by; - Setting the right direction for finance from a controlling department to business partnering - Need quick win solutions? Understand the business first. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/234. #FinancialMentor #SITN #BusinessPartnering

Has being a knower and always being right meant that Finance leaders have actually been guilty of holding themselves back ? I came across a fantastic article form Brené Brown in which she discusses that it’s not fear that gets in the way of daring leadership that’s required to remain relevant and do the right things, it’s the armour that’s caused from always being the knower or always being right. In this bite-sized episode I outline three strategies that to transform always knowing into always learning. #FinancialMentor #SITN #Courage

"What I like to do is allocate work to people based on their skillset. So I like to find out what they’re good at and what they’re passionate about,” because as our guest mentor Erica Ingham, you’ll tend to get a much better quality of work. Erica also helps us deconstruct on todays’ episode: - The People skills that Finance and Accounting professionals must learn as they progress in their career - Some approaches to improve diversity in teams: - Go into what neurodiversity means and its value to orgs - The importance of allocating work to people based on their skillset If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/232. YouTube link: [insert link from YouTube] #FinancialMentor #SITN #Neurodiversity #Digital #Employees

"70% of people think they are not qualified enough to do the job and that others can do it better,” according to our guest mentor Susan Ní Chríodáin who touches on a key fear for finance professionals, “imposter syndrome,” and, together we deconstruct for today's episode: - Areas of conflict in the business where non-finance people are afraid of numbers; - How an image make-over for finance teams and leaders can lead to a cool, rewarding and amazing career; - Tips for Finance and Accounting Professional to move from backseat to the front row of a business; and - Ways to combat Imposter syndrome. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our time-stamped show notes, key quotes, resources and ways to connect with our guest mentor and more at sitnshow.com/podcast/230.

Some of us in Accounting & Finance get to become leaders, great! Well done! But what next? I mean what should be we doing to build influence and how soon do I need to be making an impact? When I became a leader for the first time I didn’t have a plan, much of a clue about what did that mean, after all it’s not something that was discussed or covered when I trained to be an accountant. In this bite-sized episode I outline some key areas to focus on in the first 90 days after assuming a leadership role. #FinancialMentor #SITN #Leadership