FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25 / 3:00PM – 3:50PM / ROOM – DANNER WEST
SPEAKER DETAILS:
SPEAKER: Tara Whitney, ACC, CPA, White Birch Advisory
SESSION TITLE: Beyond the Numbers: Success Strategies for Female Finance Leaders
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
Program Content: The major topics covered in this course include: How to increase your visibility instead of flying under the radar. Critical time management techniques that allow you to focus and prioritize the right strategic initiatives. How your inner critic operates and how to silence it. How to build a network of community support and mentoring. What impostor syndrome is and how it may be holding you back.
Learning Objectives: After attending this presentation, you will be able to: Create a three step plan that allows you to be a more strategic and influential leader. Practice increasing your confidence even in the most uncertain situations. Determine your next step to build a supportive and engaging community around you.
Field of Study: Personal Development
Program Level: Basic / 1CPE / Non-technical
Prerequisites: None
Advance Preparation: None
Speaker BIO:
Tara Whitney coaches female leaders and executives to maximize their influence and performance by overcoming perfectionism, people-pleasing, and impostor syndrome. She draws upon her extensive coaching training, her business experience in public and corporate accounting and entrepreneurial background when working with her clients. Tara started her career as a CPA working for one of the Big 4 public accounting firms and then worked in corporate accounting for over fifteen years. Tara has founded and grown several businesses, including an accounting consulting firm and a yoga studio. Tara is a certified professional coach, fractional CFO, speaker and two-time published author.
Email: tarawhitney@tara-whitney.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-whitney/
Website: www.tara-whitney.com
WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND THIS SESSION! ARTICLE FROM SPEAKER!
Sorry, Your Excellent Work Just Isn’t Enough to Get You Ahead
Annette sounded weary and defeated. After over a few years of outstanding work in the same position, her second attempt at a promotion had been shot down. She was baffled. “Why can’t my good work speak for itself?” she shared.
I’ve heard the same words from so many female friends and colleagues. I’ve even said similar words.
Call it a mindset, a belief, or a delusion. Hoping our good work will be enough to get us ahead isn’t a reliable success strategy. If only it could be so simple. As an accounting and finance leader, investing in your technical skills often happens behind the scenes, out of the spotlight. Nothing is more satisfying than putting your head down and getting the work done. It’s a less risky way for you to invest your time.
Our cultural conditioning encourages women to not rock the boat or bring attention to themselves. And if you’re challenged with impostor feelings (which occurs at one time or another in 70% of professionals) flying under the radar may be your default safety mechanism.
It’s important to acknowledge what factors into why we wish our hard work can be enough for us to get ahead. You can choose a different strategy on your way to success.
According to the How to Speed the Path to Partner, a Journal of Accountancy article, the critical components needed for advancement are building relationships, selling new business, and leaning on mentors. But more importantly, there is your X factor. “X factors” are the qualities and attributes that make you unique and set you apart from every other senior manager and principal pursuing the partner track. Match your X factor with the needs of your firm and you’re likely to find yourself moving up the ranks quicker.
For starters, make your accomplishments more visible. This isn’t bragging, it’s just information sharing. Send a simple bi-weekly email to your boss or partner with a list of your objective accomplishments. You can even use it as a tool to solicit feedback and build relationships.
Building relationships takes time, which is why it’s the first thing that may drop off your to-do list when your work schedule gets extremely busy. Make an honest assessment of how much time you’re tending to existing and creating new relationships with work colleagues, business prospects and referral partners. Being more active in your state CPA society or other CFO networking groups can help you with this.
Keep in mind that promoting yourself is part of the job. As you practice these strategies, it will be your effectiveness and confidence as a leader that will speak for itself.
Are you interested in learning more?
Join me at Beyond the Numbers: Success Strategies of Female Finance Leaders at the Women Who Count Conference on October 25 in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Wishing your good work will be enough to get you ahead is a survival strategy. There are many others that women commonly use, like people-pleasing and perfectionism. In my workshop, I’ll be sharing what these survival strategies are and which concrete success strategies to use instead.
Tara Whitney, CPA, ACC is the CEO of White Birch Advisory, a boutique firm that specializes in leadership development, certified executive coaching and fractional CFO services. Her diverse experience as a Big 4 CPA, certified coach, and owner of multiple businesses enables her to offer her clients a holistic approach. Tara’s leadership development work focuses on the human behind the business leader, because who her clients are personally is just as important as what they’re doing professionally.