From Underestimated to Unstoppable

Client: Chris — Finance Analyst on the Brink of a PIP

Background
Chris was a capable mid-career finance analyst with aspirations of becoming a manager. But his company didn’t see it. Leaders doubted his motivation and questioned his communication skills. Behind the scenes, he was even being discussed as a candidate for a performance improvement plan — the opposite direction of the promotion he wanted.

Approach
That’s when we stepped in.
Through the StoryCore and Ignite components of the Career Adventurer toolkit, we worked on:

• Identifying his natural strengths and interest areas

• Clarifying his most powerful career stories — and how to tell them

• Refining his communication style to clearly translate complex financial insights for business stakeholders

We zeroed in on an insight that changed everything: Chris was deeply skilled at financial marketing management — helping bridge the gap between numbers and strategy.

Result
Over six months, everything shifted. Chris avoided the PIP and began to be recognized as a high performer. One leader even said, “Chris is a different person — night and day.” Within two years, Chris earned the promotion to manager that many once thought was out of reach.