The Dear Accountant podcast is the ultimate mentorship tool: advice, stories, and career introspections from executives, leaders, and idea makers in the accounting industry. Insecurity at the workplace or toxic culture is such an important topic, yet we don’t address that enough. This week I have Melanie Pump, an industry-renowned business leader and the CFO of Plank Ventures as our guest on the podcast, to address such an uncomfortable topic.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
1. THE BOTTOM LINE IS IMPROVED IF THE ENVIRONMENT IS NOT TOXIC
Company culture is directly related to the profitability of a company; when people are afraid, there is uncertainty in business, toxicity, and a reduced sense of innovation, collaboration, and productivity. Melanie explains that these culture-driven aspects of a company are as important to the company’s bottom line as their hiring processes, and that ensuring the company culture is positive should be at the top of the to-do list for any industry leader.
2. ALWAYS LOOK AT YOURSELF AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT REACTING AND USING TOXIC BEHAVIORS YOURSELF
Importantly, the building of company culture is not left to the people on top; rather, it is up to each individual employee to ensure that the culture is inclusive, cooperative, and positive. To do so, Melanie advocates for transparency and communication within your team; speak to HR if there are challenges from the company or the individual if there’s a specific problem with one person. Continue to engage and involve the team in any decisions you are making, and make sure you’re building the environment you would want to work in.
3. DON'T JUST LOOK AT THE JOB, LOOK AT THE PEOPLE. DON'T JUST TALK TO ONE PERSON BEFORE YOU ACCEPT A JOB, TALK TO MULTIPLE TO GET A FEEL FOR IT
Rather than simply learning to manage and respond to toxicity, Melanie explains that you can incorporate company culture into your job search, and make sure that toxicity is not in the company that you’re hoping to enter. One way to do this is to speak with people at multiple levels within the company and ask for their understanding of the company culture and where your role would fit within it.
🎧 To learn more about managing insecurity and toxicity in the workplace, about company culture more generally, or find yourself a mentor in Cece, head to the Dear Accountant Podcast here.
🎙 “Dear Accountant” podcast is a uniquely insightful and entertaining podcast for aspiring young business professionals. Each episode is packed with actionable advice to help young finance professionals get ready for whatever challenge they may face next. Aside from all of the many cool things in accounting (technical topics and trends), we bring in industry experts and influential leaders to share their journey, insights and perspectives. We will also cover topics that were not taught in school - life essential skills such as personal finance, emotional intelligence, mentorship, networking, body language and human behaviors, and so much more!
💬 About our guest, Melanie Pump: Melanie Pump is an industry-renowned business leader and the CFO of Plank Ventures, an investment company whose mission is to fund, buy and scale businesses. Passionate about sharing her expertise with others, Melanie is the author of “Detox: Managing Insecurity in the Workplace”, where she shares her learnings and experiences on the impacts of toxic work environments. Melanie also aims to provide helpful tips to all in the corporate landscape through her website, which includes insight and advice on how businesses and employees can reach their full potential
📖 Get the amazing advices from the 20 mentors in the “Dear Accountant” Book: The book offers a unique immersion into the lives and careers of 20 inspiring leaders in finance from different disciplines - their backstories, pivotal moments, career trajectories, and hiccups along the way.
🎧 Listen to Cece’s interviews about her passion and mission in writing this book and paying it forward to help young professionals to find meaning and fulfillment in their life and career: