2021 is almost over, and one thing I always advise my clients to do at the end of every year is to pause, take a step back and reflect. That’s exactly what I’m going to do here in this blog. I’ll be sharing my clients’ wins, some lessons learned, and a few other things which I hope you find interesting along the way.
Let’s start with my amazing clients, and what we’ve achieved together in 2021
27 of my clients got a new job! That’s 27 new paths carved out, across different sectors in finance and leadership. All these clients took a crucial new step in their personal career plan into more sustainable, fulfilling, and interesting roles.
On top of that, 14 of my clients got promoted in 2021! It’s always great to hear success stories. These individuals understood their own personal strengths and value, and leveraged this to reach new heights in their careers.
11 of my clients hired someone amazing this year. Bringing new faces and skills into your team is one of the most powerful tools that leaders can embrace. By bringing in new skills and fresh ideas, in addition to upskilling your current team, leaders can get well ahead of the curve and position themselves for the future.
Similarly, 2 of my clients rebuilt their finance team to prepare for the future of finance. No, this doesn’t mean that they fired everyone and started fresh! These leaders reshuffled, upskilled and supported their teams to progress.
Setting up your own business can be a scary process! Nevertheless, 4 of my clients took the leap and created an amazing new start-up business in 2021. Taking advantage of gaps in the market, my clients tackled problems such as corporate sustainability (ESG) and helping small businesses with their finances.
In addition to this, 3 of my clients have had incredible life changes in the past year! With both a new baby and increased clarity on career paths, these lucky new parents have taken on exciting challenges in more ways than one.
On top of upskilling their teams, most of my clients took a magnifying glass to their own careers, refocusing and reprioritising their journeys around the future of finance.
And finally, every single one of my clients took a huge step in their own personal development and made an investment in themselves.
Lessons learned
2021 has been a challenging year for many, with professionals and businesses alike attempting to rebuild after an incredibly difficult 2020. However, this year has also offered a fresh start to millions of people around the world. Those dislodged from, or dissatisfied with their old jobs have been given a golden opportunity to start fresh in a new career, or take a massive step forward in their existing one.
And of course, with every cloud comes a silver lining, and with every challenge faced comes a lesson, so here are a few of the important lessons that I’ve learned this year.
Lesson 1 – Don’t underestimate your worth!
One thing I’ve learned in the last year is that most people underestimate their worth in the market. I’ve spoken to so many people this year who don’t really understand what their strengths are and how valuable they are, they just didn’t realise what an amazing unique set of skills they already had!
But once you can get clarity on that, you can start leveraging your unique skills to get that job, secure your promotion, or earn the trust of others.
Lesson 2 – Finance has a long way to go to take advantage of the available opportunities.
Advancements in AI and Big Data have opened up a whole new world of opportunities in finance. The only problem is that we’re only just beginning to see teams take advantage of this data. For example, just 5% of my clients are confident at using or managing teams to use the latest data and analytics, including PowerBI.
If there’s anything to take from this, it’s that 2022 is really the year to start embracing the latest technology!
Final announcements
Finally, I’m sure you’ve noticed, but I’ve got a brand-new website! A lot has changed in the years since I started coaching, and I felt that I needed a website that better reflected who I am, and what I do. My hope is that this website will not just be a listing of my services, but also home to a wealth of knowledge, guides, and product recommendations that I have carefully tailored to bring extra value to you – my audience and clients.
I also have a new monthly newsletter that I will be sharing, bringing together the biggest news in the finance industry, some tips for your personal growth, some reading/productivity recommendations, and handy reminders on leadership and management.
If this sounds good to you, you can fill in the form at the bottom of this page to join my mailing list!
How have you grown in 2021?
I hope you found some use from this reflection, and as always, I’d love to hear how you have grown in 2021! Please feel free to book some time in with me, or arrange a discovery session, and we can discuss how we can make 2022 even better!
