Why Certainty Kills Growth?

In transitioning out of my corporate role in finance into performance coaching and leadership development I’ve had the opportunity to observe the human behaviour patterns that are being presented across members of the finance community.

Often when people approach me for performance coaching, they are looking for help problem solving, innovating and getting clarity of focus to get the result they want in their career.

What I’ve discovered is that there is a correlation between how an individual is managing their career and the common behaviours we see in a finance function.

There are three types of persona I’ve discovered through my work and unfortunately two of them leave the future of finance very vulnerable.

So the journey of discovery starts with a call…..

I have found discovery calls to be rather fascinating, I hadn’t realised how much I’d learn about my fellow finance folk in those calls. (For reference, a discovery call is for a potential client interested in stepping up in their career or role performance, to establish where potential opportunities lie).  The objective of these calls is to qualify the need for coaching and determine fit, but I hadn’t appreciated I’d learn so much more – the correlation I would discover in the insights not only about the individual and how they are navigating their career, but how I see their behaviour patterns reflected in the behaviours of a finance team.

I’ve bucketed these behaviour patterns into three types of persona:

1.    The Procrastinator

2.    The Activator

3.    The Know-It-Later  

The Procrastinator:

-      They’ve usually waited until things are rather uncomfortable for them in their current environment and circumstances before seeking help.  

-      They often come on a discovery call ready to share all of the challenges they have been experiencing usually for many months, some over a year and they are feeling rather disillusioned.

-      They seek guidance and advice usually on the addressing the symptoms that they are currently presented with e.g. feeling stuck, knowing they need help but rather unclear on what that help looks like.

-      They ask many questions, about the how the process works and what is involved and the result they will get.

-      They understand what needs to be done once some of the symptoms are explored and typically acknowledge there is a far better path than what they are taking now.

-      They ask what it costs, then usually they need to think about it some more. And maybe some more later.

The Activator:

-      They are often uncomfortable with the status quo and have a desire to make the change they seek to happen.

-      They usually come on a discovery call ready to share all that they’ve done and highlight where they have got stuck. They want change and are curious to know how they might accelerate that.

-      They demonstrate responsibility for their situation and also acknowledge that they are the ones that need to act for it to change.

-      They ask questions about outcomes over process and are ready to share what success looks or feels like for them. 

-      They ask what the investment is and then they make a decision. Seeing it as an ‘investment’.

The Know-It Later:

-      They usually come on the call not really thinking they have a need for coaching but usually have a problem they wanted to explore which could be holding them back.

-      They often make lots of affirming noises and proceed to open up on other areas they are curious to get thoughts on whilst at the same time sharing what they already know.

-      They don’t ask questions about cost or investment, but they are usually the ones that want to stay on the call over the allocated time. 

-      They usually acknowledge at the end of the call they already know what they need to do and don’t think coaching is what they need – Of course! But when asked what they need, they don’t seem to know that either.

So how does any of this relate to common behaviours we see within in a finance team?

The Procrastinators:

-      They are often intelligent people who doubt themselves

-      They are programmed to avoid taking risks

-      They seek certainty of outcome before committing to act

-      They assess based on cost not value because that is what is certain for them

-      They fear failing and so continue to gather more and more data 

-      They believe if they learn more then they will know what to do and take action

-      They are afraid of making the wrong decisions so can sometimes avoid making them all together

-      They are slow to change often only do so when the pain of standing still becomes too much

The Activators:

-      They are curious 

-      They recognise change happens with action

-      They are more comfortable with uncertainty and take calculated risks acknowledging they’ll learn more through doing than thinking

-      They seek to find opportunities to continue to improve recognising there is always something that can be done better

-      They take responsibility and ownership for doing the work and aren’t afraid of asking for help

-      They assess based on value of the potential outcome rather than cost, willing to invest and commit to action to accelerate results

-      They know standing still isn’t an option and acknowledge often that what got them to where they are, won’t get them to where they want to go

The Know-It-Laters:

-      They are stuck in comfort zones but believe they are not

-      They seek more comfort in accumulating knowledge

-      They have an ego around what they ‘know’ so talk a lot about it

-      They don’t really listen and only hear what affirms they already know

-      They may ‘know’ a lot but don’t really do what they ‘know’

-      They say ‘I know’ a lot 

-      Others in the business don’t always agree that they know what they know because they don’t have evidence to show they know.

-      They actually lack openness to new thinking because they have a fixed mindset based on what they already know

-      They don’t think they have a problem…….until later, of course, when it transpires they do!

So what does this all mean?

This article is called “Why Certainty Kills Growth” because it’s important to recognise that without uncertainty there would be no innovation.  

No innovation equals no growth.  

The landscape in finance is changing thanks to technology. This is a certainty. 

Technology we wouldn’t have access to if teams and organisations weren’t willing to invest in trying to create new and better ways of doing things, often with no guarantee of success when they first embarked on their creative journeys.

A Vulnerable Function

This changing landscape leaves finance open and vulnerable, and it will be interesting to see whether there is recognition from the community that this is the case.

If the way finance folk are navigating their careers is anything to go by, two of the three personas will be real hindrances to the development of the function. In fact, they already are.

The Procrastinators and the Know-It-Laters are seeking certainty or have a fixed mindset – neither of which is conducive to a successful finance function of the future. A function requiring agility in ambiguity, or as many finance leaders like to call it “operating in the grey”.

These two personas miss out on discovering something new because their quest for certainty and fixed mindsets leave no space for curiosity, and curiosity is what opens up exploration.

The Future of Work

As we enter the imagination age, an era that requires innovation and creativity to deliver economic value, we’ll begin to see how much work is needed to be done to ready the function for this new future of work.

If you are looking for finance function of problem solvers, business partners and action takers, it’s the activators you want. 

They are the ‘linchpins’ for change and do what is necessary to move the dial.

With the personas identified it’s easy to see what you have around you.  

Noticing how they are managing their own careers becomes a tell-tale signal in how they are contributing to the success of the function.

As you read this, where do you sit? And what do you observe about individuals and the teams you work with?

It’s easy to say you’re an activator, and as we know, this is only demonstrated in action.

If you are looking to level up your own performance and or that of your team and are keen to have a chat about or learn more on how I can help don’t hesitate in reaching out. 

And yes this is cheeky, but I’ll say it anyway - The Procrastinators will think about it, The Know-It-Laters won’t see the need and The Activators - well I know I’ll be speaking to you soon.

I’m very open to hearing your perspective and I’m fascinated to know what you think, so from a genuine place I very much welcome your thoughts and comments.