I have found that one of the hardest disciplines to work into the day-to-day activities is to continually find ways to challenge myself and grow as a professional. I have no problem putting myself in situations where the work environment is a challenge, in fact, I pursue it and welcome it.  Over the last 18-months there has been no shortage of external challenges that have forced me to up the skillset and focus on daily operations. With that in mind, the biggest challenge has been taking time to step back and assess the overall package, what I bring to the organization, and review what areas I can improve on. 

     With respect to the introspective review, I tend to cross-reference a book I believe is a great read for all Finance staff, regardless of level; “Reinventing the CFO” by Jeremy Hope.  The book discusses how the role of the CFO has clearly moved beyond the role of Accountant and reporter to the NECESSARY role of Strategist, Architect, Engineer, & Mechanic. I’ve coined my own acronym to remember the four elements; S-E-A-M , since I believe that Finance really is the department that keeps the “seams” of the organization together and keeps everyone focused on a unified goal - positive corporate financial performance.

     In Jeremy Hope’s book, he expands on 7-key concepts that he believes are the core responsibilities of the CFO within an organization.

  • -CFO as the Freedom Fighter
  • -CFO as the Analyst & Advisor
  • -CFO as the Architect of Adaptive Management
  • -CFO as a Warrior against Waste
  • -CFO as a Master of Measurement
  • -CFO as a Regulator of Risk
  • -CFO as a Champion of Change

     The seven concepts above will be the basis of my next seven blog entries as I go through and provide an overview of Hope’s views on each of these, as well as my application of these seven principles in my daily activities. I firmly believe in the principles above and believe I practice them on a constant basis. In fact, I tend to believe that it’s my relentless pursuit of these points, in the face of adverse conditions, that might have cost me a prior position. I’m curious to challenge myself and see just how effectively I am working the points above into my work approach on a daily basis. There’s certainly no shortage of projects to complete at my company, but I believe it’s equally important to step back on a regular basis, challenge myself, and ensure that I am delivering the highest level of value in return for the investment that the company is making in me. How are you challening yourself when this difficult economy keeps challenging you?

 

Thanks for reading . . . .

 

Jeffrey Ishmael