#218 Soft Skills Every Financial Leader Needs with Melanie Coeshott, GrowCFO Mentor

#218 Soft Skills Every Financial Leader Needs with Melanie Coeshott https://open.spotify.com/episode/65A52E2nhXg7T5L4SPV1Q1 As the business landscape becomes increasingly complex, the ability to effectively communicate, manage people, and navigate interpersonal dynamics has become just as essential as technical financial expertise. Melanie Coeshott, a GrowCFO mentor, shares her insights and experiences in coaching and facilitating courses that help finance professionals develop these crucial soft skills. Melanie and Kevin Appleby explore the importance of experiential learning, where participants actively engage in role-playing, group discussions, and feedback sessions to hone their skills. They discuss the various courses Melanie facilitates, including emotional skills, interpersonal skills, people management, and delegation. Melanie emphasizes the need for finance professionals to continuously develop their soft skills, regardless of their career stage, as these capabilities can significantly impact their effectiveness as leaders and their ability to navigate the evolving business environment. The key highlights of this session include Melanie's personal journey from an accountant in the financial services industry to a career coach and facilitator, her insights on the role of mindset and limited beliefs in career development, and the practical strategies she employs to help her clients and workshop participants unlock their full potential. The discussion also delves into the nuances of active listening, the importance of empowering others through effective delegation, and the value of creating a safe and inclusive environment for learning and growth. Key topics covered: Melanie's background as an accountant and her transition to a career coach and facilitator The importance of soft skills for finance professionals, including emotional skills, interpersonal skills, people management, and delegation The experiential learning approach used in Melanie's courses, emphasizing active engagement and feedback Melanie's insights on addressing mindset and limited beliefs in career coaching The role of motivational maps in understanding individual drivers and satisfaction levels The overlap between one-on-one coaching and group workshops in developing soft skills The relevance of soft skills courses for finance professionals at different career stages https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkPl3enoqso Links Melanie Coeshott on LinkedIn Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn GrowCFO Mentoring Timestamps 0:00:34 - Introduction and initial greetings 0:01:48 - Melanie's background and facilitation work with GrowCFO 0:05:27 - Discussion of the various courses Melanie facilitates 0:12:38 - The importance of soft skills for aspiring CFOs 0:16:13 - Melanie's approach to the delegation and empowerment course 0:25:17 - Melanie's use of motivational maps in career coaching 0:37:44 - Explanation of the motivational maps tool 0:47:03 - Discussion of networking for future CFOs Find out more about GrowCFO If you enjoyed this podcast, you can subscribe to the GrowCFO Show with your favorite podcast app. The GrowCFO show is listed in the Apple podcast directory, Spotify and many others. Why not subscribe there today? That way, you never miss an episode. GrowCFO is a great place to extend your professional network. Join GrowCFO as a free member today and participate in our regular networking events and webinars. Premium members can also access our extensive training center and CFO Digital Toolkit. You can enroll in our flagship Future CFO or Finance Leader programs here. You can find out more and join today at growcfo.net