By Joni Lindquist
A foundation of a successful personal financial plan is your income – what you earn during your working years, which leads to the amount of money you can save and then invest. Yet, often the focus tends to be on investments when we propose it should be on the foundation – how well are you maximizing your human capital in order to earn the income. This is particularly true if you are in your 20s, 30s and 40s.
Organizations often hire executive coaches to help develop their highest potential employees, investing in these talented employees to get production. Some individuals will hire coaches to help them through difficult times at work. Having an advisor – a coach who helps you to perform better in your career – can potentially be more impactful than earning a higher rate of return on your financial assets.
What does managing your career really mean? While it depends on one’s specific situation, coaching can help in some of the following ways:
- Navigating the political environment at your company
- Understanding the company culture – learning how to fit in yet also stand out
- Understanding how decisions really get made
- Applying good problem solving skills
- Managing your boss(es) – there is often more than one boss who can impact your career progression Influencing others when you don’t have the direct authority
- Getting your ideas heard and implemented
- Effectively managing your emotions in the workplace
- Becoming a productive team member- knowing and playing the right role given the circumstances
- Handling difficult discussions
- Handling difficult people
- Engaging, coaching and developing others
- Leading teams
- Allocating resources
- Understanding and harnessing the strengths of your team for maximum effect
By building the necessary skills such as those above, we believe you can achieve the goal of getting raises and promotions, which will in turn boost your income. The most successful business executives are not only strong in their primary functional area – accounting, finance, marketing, sales, human resources; they have a wide variety and effectively use many skills.
For help with specific questions or with planning, schedule a meeting by clicking below, contact Joni Lindquist –jlindquist@makinglifecount.com, or call (913) 345-1881.