People-Centric Skills

Use your interpersonal and communication skills as a financial professional to work successfully with clients

Embark on a journey to further develop your career when you read People-Centric Skills: Interpersonal and Communication Skills for Financial Professionals, 2^nd Edition. Business leaders consider employee communication skills and critical thinking abilities as essential elements for success. In their work, all professionals must communicate clearly and rely on their interpersonal skills to be successful.

This second edition of People-Centric Skills shares the fictional story of Dalton Zimmer, executive coach and public speaker. Dalton, all the while juggling his business, kids and social life, provides coaching and communication strategies for handling challenging situations faced by his clients.

This insightful narrative will help you expand communication and soft skills as a CPA, auditor, financial planner or other financial professional.

As Generation Z is entering the work force, the communication gap between Z and Boomers or Generation X is widening significantly. New to the second edition, you’ll find a discussion of communication between generations and how to bridge them as a financial professional.

You can be a more people-centric leader as you engage with a wide range of clients and associates. This book can be a first step to improving interpersonal and communication skills as you continue to develop in your career.

Foreword ix

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xv

Chapter 1 The People-Centric Journey Begins Anew 1

Chapter 2 Reading Through People 5

Chapter 3 Emotional Intelligence 29

Chapter 4 Different Points of View: Using Self-Awareness and Empathy Effectively 47

Chapter 5 Wrong Mode = Wrong Mood: Determining the Optimal Mode of Communication 51

Chapter 6 Influencing Change Throughout Any Business 59

Chapter 7 Projecting the Real You: Public Speaking 65

Chapter 8 Coaching and Mentoring 93

Chapter 9 Presentation Skills and Body Language 99

Chapter 10 Thinking Quickly on Your Feet 125

Chapter 11 Coaching and Mentoring, Revisited 131

Chapter 12 Crisis Management 139

Epilogue 143

Appendix 145

About the Author 179

Index 181

DANNY M. GOLDBERG, CPA, CIA, CISA, is the founder of GoldSRD, a leading staffing, recruiting, and professional development firm. He has over 22 years of experience and is an IIA - Dallas Chapter board member. He is well-published, from numerous articles to three other books, and is a highly-regarded speaker on all facets of audit and people-centric skills.

Learn communication skills with this critically acclaimed, engaging guide for professionals at all levels

Survey after survey continue to highlight the need for enhanced soft skills to be successful in any profession, inclusive of finance/accounting. As artificial intelligence is increasingly utilized for many technical and analytical skills, "human" skills are now valued more than technical skills. These human, or people-centric skills, are necessary for success at any level. "IQ gets you the job; EQ gets you promoted." This is a quote from author Danny M. Goldberg on the importance of emotional intelligence, one of the topics covered in People-Centric Skills, one of the top-rated communications guides on the market. This is an engaging read that any financial professional can use to learn the skillset required for continued career success.

You'll be swept into the story of executive coach Dalton Zimmer, a dedicated father whose resilience is constantly tested by the demanding situations his clients present. Follow Dalton as he helps clients work through challenges, guides them in enhancing soft skills, and shows them (and you) what it takes to build stronger relationships and better business results.

Author Danny M. Goldberg paints realistic portraits of the often-confounding interpersonal situations that professionals face daily. Read People-Centric Skills to demystify everything from body language and tone to public speaking and coaching and mentoring. You'll learn leading practices for motivating employees, public speaking, handling crises, and much, much more.

With a focus on accounting, auditing, and finance, this book grounds people-centric ("soft") skills in real-life scenarios specific to the world you and your team inhabit—together.