Learn fast, learn often: Lessons from two finance leaders

In celebration of CGMA Week, the FM podcast welcomed two CGMA designation holders who recently spoke at UK & Ireland ENGAGE to discuss the lessons they've learned throughout their careers, how their mindset has shifted over the years, and the advice they would give to finance professionals navigating opportunities in a challenging era defined by potential and uncertainty.  Simon Ritchie, ACMA, CGMA, founder and CEO of Blox Software, and Olcay Yilmaz, FCMA, CGMA, finance director–Rail Infrastructure at Siemens, explain the importance of continuous learning in a time when knowledge has a faster expiration date for finance professionals.  Ritchie and Yilmaz highlight the ways finance professionals can position emerging technologies as innovation drivers in the finance function and how to fully embrace those tools in their roles. CGMA Week is a global celebration designed to showcase the value, pride, and achievements associated with the CGMA designation. What you'll learn from this episode: How an early start in technology can prevent finance professionals from working "backwards". The importance of learning to love learning — and why it pays off. Key areas Yilmaz and Ritchie expect AI to optimise within the finance function. Strategies for harnessing structure and embracing change through uncertainty. Their advice for professionals preoccupied with career ladders and titles. Tips for professionals struggling to map their learning and growth journeys.

Executive coach and author Nick Robinson illuminates the challenging traits of work colleagues and shares strategies from his book — The 9 Types of Difficult People: How to Spot Them and Quickly Improve Working Relationships — that professionals can employ to improve relationships on the job.  Robinson, a speaker at UK & Ireland ENGAGE earlier this month, explores the interplay between organisational pressures, psychological stressors, power dynamics, and how those factors can influence the development of traits and behaviours that make people difficult to work with. He also shares strategies managers and professionals can explore to help get to the crux of performance issues, improve communication skills, and gain a deeper understanding of peers. "When you ask a difficult person why they're doing what they do, they don't think they're difficult," Robinson said. "They're trying to do something that they think is right." What you'll learn from this episode: Four pressures that can negatively affect our ability to work with others. Three common types of difficult people in the workplace. Advice for managers and employees to navigate challenging relationships and dynamics. Steps for surviving a difficult boss. Tips for "unlearning" bad habits that make you appear more difficult to work with.

The latest episode of the podcast provides an overview of content in the October digital edition of FM. Editor-in-chief Oliver Rowe summarises articles on topics that include AI and cybersecurity, including one with advice on writing AI prompts. The episode closes with an explanation of how members can access the October digital edition as well as the issue library. What you'll learn from this episode: Focus areas of the October digital edition. The topic connection in the edition's leadership columns. More about the advice to managers to "keep their antenna up". The topic of the Excel article by Liam Bastick, FCMA, CGMA.

John Graham, FCMA, CGMA, CIMA president and Association of International Certified Professional Accountants co-chair, joined the FM podcast to discuss the pace of change and how finance professionals can lead their organisations through unpredictable conditions.  Graham explains the skills needed to move into a finance business partner role, how to effectively challenge outdated practices, the role of critical thinking skills in gaining trust, and why curiosity is essential for continuous learning and skills development.  What you'll learn from this episode: One vital ability for finance professionals in this fast-paced era. Key attributes for transitioning into a finance business partner role. The impact of critical thinking on career development and reputation. Risk management advice and the importance of leading with purpose. How the Association plans to prepare members for future trends. The convergence of curiosity and success.

Swaran Singh, Ph.D., professor of social and community psychiatry at the University of Warwick, explores the reasons we feel disconnected from our mental process and responses to stressful events, along with ways we can exert more control over those processes to rationalise and minimise uncertainty.  Singh also illustrates the connection between mental and physical health and the role of a growth mindset in limiting stress and promoting positivity in the face of adversity.   He will speak on the topic of mastering your mindset at UK & Ireland ENGAGE in October in London and online.  What you'll learn from this episode: §  Why organisations' approach to wellbeing is evolving. §  How to begin to master your mindset and stay positive. §  The link between mental and physical health conditions. §  Small steps to becoming more at peace with change and uncertainty. §  Ways to reframe your inner critic. §  Tips for managing and recovering from stress.

Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, is CEO of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants and president and CEO of the AICPA. He's been in that role since the start of the year and travelled all over the world hearing from members. Summer's end seemed like a good time for a progress report on a variety of fronts from Koziel, who at the time of publication was visiting Asia. This is a special edition of the podcast, published jointly on the Journal of Accountancy and FM channels. What you'll learn from this episode: The skills gap affecting businesses around the world. Global influence on accounting and standard setting. An explanation of Rise 2040 and what it will mean for finance professionals. The role of hard and soft trends in strategic planning exercises. Why a 2026 report release is not the end of the Rise 2040 project. What Koziel has learned about himself now that he's had nearly eight months on the job.

Leadership coach and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professional Sophie Turner explains how CIMA helped her navigate the learning and development path in her career, the psychology of imposter syndrome, and considerations for organisations looking to create a more diverse and inclusive culture.  Turner explains the importance of objectivity as a remedy for persistent self-doubt and why it's hard for people suffering from imposter syndrome to tap into the objective side of their brain.  She also illustrates ways that organisations can think differently about creating a workplace where everyone feels valued. What you'll learn from this episode: §  How CIMA studies led Turner down the leadership coaching path. §  Why imposter syndrome is more complex than feeling anxious or out of place. §  The role of feedback in managing imposter syndrome. §  The way language impacts women professionally. §  Some reasons why companies fail to execute DEI initiatives. §  Advice for organisations looking to close diversity and equality gaps.

The latest podcast episode provides a preview of content in the August digital edition of FM. To focus on the edition's overall theme of sustainability, FM editor-in-chief Oliver Rowe and podcast host Neil Amato are joined for the episode by Jeremy Osborn, FCMA, CGMA, FCPA (Australia), global head of sustainability at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. Rowe summarises articles on topics such as change fatigue, circular business models, Excel Compatibility Versions, and landing a finance job in the era of AI-enabled hiring. Osborn focuses on the state of adoption of global sustainability standards and how the standards will affect the role of finance and accounting professionals. What you'll learn from this episode: ·         Highlights of the August digital edition cover an article on change fatigue. ·         Osborn's assessment of the "accelerating" global adoption of IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 sustainability standards. ·         How the UK's sustainability standards differ slightly from the IFRS standards. ·         A definition and examples of circularity in business. ·         Other highlights from the FM digital edition, including an article on Excel Compatibility Versions.

Jamie Gruman, Ph.D., professor of organisational behaviour at the University of Guelph in Canada, discusses some of the ways technology is distancing us from other people and how this can harm employees.  Gruman explains why this era of urgency and efficiency, aided by technological advancements, threatens to further dehumanise and objectify workforces and describes ways this is happening in businesses.  He talks about the research he and Alan Saks, Ph.D., professor of organisational behaviour and human resources management at the University of Toronto Scarborough), have done. That research concludes that work cultures focused on care are necessary for good management and satisfied employees. Gruman also highlights one commonly held "naive belief" preventing the development of more compassionate practices in the workplace.  What you'll learn from this episode: §  Different ways technology can dehumanise and objectify employees at work. §  Why creating a caring work environment should be simple. §  One shared falsehood that stops organisations from implementing caring cultures. §  The role of leadership in demonstrating and rewarding care. §  The interplay between work culture and employees' relationship with technology. §  How employees are resisting algorithms that threaten their autonomy.

Ben Schwencke, chief psychologist at Test Partnership, a psychometric assessment and pre-employment testing service provider in the UK, joined the FM podcast to discuss common recruitment challenges facing employers, what psychometric testing entails and how it's implemented, and the use of artificial intelligence in recruitment practices. In an earlier FM episode, an expert discussed how businesses are eager to embark on AI initiatives despite remaining wary of its pitfalls. What you'll learn from this episode: Why an assessment of recruitment challenges in a business depends on who you talk to in the organisation. An explanation of psychometric testing and common concerns companies may have in using such testing. Why Schwencke considers it beneficial for job candidates to be allowed to take a practice test version of a psychometric assessment. The "two sides" to the use of AI in the recruitment process. Why recruitment methods should include tools that both incorporate AI and are resistant to it, according to Schwencke.