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Got Grit?
By Tammy Robertson, MA
The following is an updated excerpt. The full article can be found here.
The impact of worry is similar to fear; it is a success killer. It gets in the way of performance. Like a negative mental rehearsal, we end up creating the very thing we are trying to avoid.
We move in the direction of our dominant thoughts. What we pay attention to creates our reality. Now is the time to practice focus, optimism, and persistence to build real ‘GRIT’. Grit disarms fear. Here are two questions you need to ask yourself every day to ward off fear, recover, and regain confidence and perspective.
1. If I knew that everything was going to turn out just fine, maybe even better than I hoped, how would I be today?
2. How would I use this time in a way that serves me, my family and my leadership?
Managing worry and fear is a new life and business imperative. It takes a great deal of resilience and grit to move through uncertain times with confidence. Here are four steps you can do to build grit.
Pick a story that serves you.
Act as though everything is going to be ok. Believing there is nothing you can do leads to “who cares, so what, why bother, what’s the point?” and that just doesn’t help. Fear can be paralyzing. It will shut you down. Worry keeps you painfully in the future and serves no useful purpose. Telling yourself a bad story — leads to bad feelings — leads to bad actions. Telling yourself a good story — leads to good feelings — leads to good actions.
Look for a purposeful action.
Asking yourself, “What can I do now?”, is a great question because it keeps you firmly planted in the here and now where you can do something worthwhile. If work slows down or production slows down, how could you use this time to get better and prepare for what’s next? If you knew everything was going to be ok, how would you use this window in time? What do you need to learn? How can you rejuvenate? What needs some fine-tuning? This is resilient thinking that leads to action and engagement.
Become a positive force.
Every family and workplace needs someone who is not all doom and gloom, who is calm and confident and models grace and resilience. Your energy is contagious. You are a breath of fresh air. We need you. Think of what you can model to your kids and peers by showing them how you handle the tough times.
Find inspiration.
Someone who is truly inspired is not attached to outcomes. When you get so focused on the result or goal that you are gunning for and things go sideways, it is hard to stay invested. When big goals are driving the action, fear often rides shot-gun. What if it can’t be done? People who are inspired, do things because it is the right thing to do. Because there is no choice. It represents the truth.
Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out. What are you willing to work at with no guarantees? Because the work itself matters. This is the real secret to GRIT.
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TAMMY ROBERTSON, MA, is an unapologetic optimist who believes in grit and gutsiness and that we are all wired for resilience. With over 25 years of experience, Tammy works with CPA’s from BC to NL, providing resilient leadership and personal development seminars and keynotes at conferences and training days. As a life and leadership coach to leaders both in industry and public practice, Tammy will give you the tools to play your best game, even as the rules and positions change. Is your “Heart in the Game?” It’s more important than ever!
Learn more from Tammy at one of her upcoming seminars this February and March: Resilient Leadership and Advanced Resilient Leadership Certificate Program
Four Ways to Improve your Effectiveness as a Controller
As a Controller or financial leader, you provide both financial expertise as well as people management and strategy skills that bring value to your organization.
To be an effective Controller, you need to further develop the competencies that are crucial to your role. Here are four ways to achieve this:
Create Efficient Processes
Improve the efficiency of your company’s processes and procedures in Accounting. By enhancing your knowledge in Digital Transformation and implementing ERPs, you can optimize and automate workflow.
Through automation, Controllers can streamline processes, improve accuracy, increase productivity and create paperless options, thereby reducing cost and saving time for your organization.
Brush up on your Technical Skills
Controllers need to have a strong foundation in various technical skills including but not limited to financial reporting and analysis, tax compliance, budgeting and forecasting, data analysis and management. With the rapidly changing technology and financial landscape, maintaining technical proficiency can help Controllers stay competitive, make better decisions and better understand the financial and operational aspects of the business.
Increase your Emotional Intelligence
Increasing emotional intelligence can help you better understand and relate to your team members which can lead to more effective collaboration and teamwork. Understanding your own emotions and the emotions of others can help you communicate more effectively with stakeholders including colleagues, clients and upper management. Financial Controllers who possess strong emotional intelligence are better equipped to adapt to changing circumstances.
Build Grit and Resilience
A Controller’s role can be fast-paced and demanding and resiliency can help you effectively manage stress and maintain your well-being. Practicing mindfulness and taking time for self-care such as journaling or hobbies can help you maintain a positive outlook. Resilient individuals are often better equipped to handle conflicts and communicate effectively. Resiliency also helps you adapt to changing circumstances such as shifting market conditions, new regulations and navigate challenges. Learning to embrace failure as an opportunity to learn and grow can help you develop a more resilient mindset.
As a Controller, you are expected to be able to deal with a myriad of issues and situations. By clearly examining essential Controller skills and the role, you can hone your personal and interpersonal effectiveness. Learn more at the live webinars: Controllership – Operational Management on Feb 16-17; Practical Tips for Controllers and CFOs on Feb 28; Controller’s Operational Skills Program; and the Controller’s Management Program this spring.
Experienced CFO and Prolific Author
Meet Jeffrey D. Sherman, MBA, CIM, FCPA, FCA (Ontario), CEO of Terragram Investments Ltd. and CFO of Sun Residential REIT (TSXV: SRES). He has over 25 years of business experience as a chief financial officer and an author of over twenty books.
From 2012 to 2017, Jeffrey was CFO of Atrium Mortgage Investment Corporation (TSX: AI) where he helped take the company public and grow its assets from $180 million to over $600 million. His previous experience includes Vice President, Finance and CFO at Pure Nickel Inc. (TSX: AI) a junior mining company, and Herbert A. Watts Limited, a business services and customer relationship management company with 2,000 employees. Before that, he was Vice President, Finance and CFO at Visible Genetics Inc., a medical instrumentation and diagnostics company where he set up systems and managed administration and finance as the company grew from 10 to 200 employees and helped drive the company’s initial public offering on Nasdaq, as well as two private placements. The company was subsequently sold to Bayer.
Jeffrey is a frequent course director and course author for many organizations including provincial associations of chartered professional accountants across Canada and has written many magazine articles and over twenty books including: Canadian Cash and Treasury Management, and Financial Instruments: A Guide for Financial Managers (published by Thomson-Reuters/Carswell), as well as Finance and Accounting PolicyPro (guide to governance, procedures, and internal control), and Strategy and Planning Toolkit for Small and Medium Businesses (all published or co-published by CPA Canada). His most recent book is the Cash Management Toolkit for Small and Medium Businesses.
He is also a popular presenter and has lectured and conducted seminars on topics such as corporate governance, internal control, treasury and derivatives, advanced accounting issues, cash management, and risk management. With an overall instructor rating of 4.5 out of 5, see what past participants have to say about their seminar experience with Jeffrey:
“Jeffrey was a highly knowledgeable and experienced instructor. He was able to share a lot of his insights and past experiences. He was helpful in answering our questions and able to explain different concepts very clearly. His presentation was professional and organized. “
“Amazing instructor! I plan on taking more PD that he instructs in the future.”
“One of the best instructors I’ve had for a CPA course.”
Learn from Jeffrey at his upcoming CFO’s Operational Skills Executive Program in July and October.
Reminder
For 2022-2023 PD Passport Holders, your remaining credits can be used only on courses dated through to August 31, 2023.
To view your remaining Passport credits, login to your member profile in Online Services, click on the “Professional Development” tab, and select “View Passport Statement” from the menu on the right.
Use your credits today towards your Winter PD program. Your Spring/Summer PD Program schedule will be available in mid-March for sessions that run from May to August.
Did You Know?
You can learn more about CPABC's PD Executive Programs in 2023 with the Executive Program catalogue.
Compare programs, get to know the presenters and read through the curriculum and each program's unique features. Register early as some Executive Program titles tend to sell out.