Performance and Professional Skills Development
Strategies and tools, grounded in research, to improve performance
Many capable students, trainees and young professionals struggle not because of technical ability, but because of avoidance of complex work, perfectionism, or fear of failure in high-stakes environments.
Ready, Mindset, Perform is a structured professional development program designed to help accounting students and early-career professionals engage more effectively with complex work and sustain performance during demanding qualification processes.
The Ready, Mindset, Perform program develops practical professional skills in:
- overcoming avoidance and procrastination
- improving communication and dealing with critical feedback
- focussing on progress over perfection
- building confidence with difficult work and challenging situations
- developing resilience in high-stakes environments
- sustaining effort during demanding qualification processes and work environments
- developing growth mindset behaviour
Book a 30-minute call with me to provide a quote and discuss your requirements
Who is this for? What will they get from this?
Accounting students and early-career professionals who are preparing for high-stakes exams and demanding professional environments. I work with universities, professional trainees, and accounting firms to support performance, resilience, and effective learning strategies.
They will receive practical tools to overcome avoidance, build confidence with complex work, and develop the mindset needed for sustained professional performance.
Participants receive a Certificate of Completion for up to 6 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) / Continuing Professional Education (CPE)
The Program
Ready, Mindset, Perform: Performance Development for Accounting Professionals
Format – 4 to 8 Structured sessions (45 minutes each) – Number of sessions and topics can be customised to suit organisational needs
Schedule – Tailored to suit requirements
CPD / CPE – Up to 7 hours
Delivery – Live interactive webinars with practical tools and applied reflection exercises
- Mindset
- Procrastination
- Mess or Success?
- Motivation
- Imposter Syndrome
- Confidence
- Perfectionism
- Feedback & Communication
‘Mindset’ underpins the work I do. This word means different things to different people – My starting point is to explain what ‘mindset’ really is.
(Spoiler alert: Mindset is not positive thinking, motivation or ‘feeling good’ about goals and challenges)
Each session includes three elements: Awareness, Source and Tools
Awareness – We are more likely to make practical changes to our daily habits and choices when we have a better understanding of the impact of these concepts on our daily lives, decisions and performance. A lot of these are unconscious – We may logically agree with certain concepts, but our underlying actions often represent contradictory implicit beliefs.
Source – We can make more practical changes when we can identify the source or cause of our limiting beliefs and habits. This is linked to psychology and mindset research, as well as practical experience with thousands of students, exam candidates and professionals.
Tools – Practical and simple tools to make small daily changes that will improve our performance and long-term goals.
What makes these sessions unique?
Personalisation – I customise the focus of these sessions depending on the needs and levels of the participants to ensure we focus on their needs and challenges.
Research – These topics are commonly covered in ‘Growth Mindset’ courses, however they are often generic and include a superficial understanding of the research and practical performance concepts. They are also seldom directly and practically connected to the beliefs, behaviours, habits and performance of the participants. My sessions are based on deeper research and integration between mindset, psychology, education and professional skills.
Experience – I have worked with students and professionals, especially in the accounting qualification space for over 17 years. My courses are designed to practically improve performance and my sessions and tools are informed by hundreds of one-on-one sessions and courses with participants at various levels.
An excerpt from a ‘Mindset’ session explaining a deeper understanding of how feedback shapes our values and future beliefs, which impact our performance
(This session was aimed at students working towards a professional accounting qualification, at postgraduate level. These students are used to being ‘high performing’ students, and when they reach higher levels, they struggle with anxiety.)
What participants have said
Great mindset session with @Yvonne Starkey yesterday. I recommend @everyone to watch the recording. I learnt that confidence is strength to take the step, strength to do something when you are not sure how it will come out. Stepping forward first not to wait until you feel you are ready.
ALWAYS START BEFORE YOU FEEL YOU ARE READY
As I was listening, I constantly thought that I’ve never consciously thought about the things you said… also how about 90% of the time my brain has manipulated me into avoiding difficult situations.
All in all the sessions were great and they already have me adjusting how I approach my studies.
(Beating Procrastination and Perfectionism: Mastering your Mindset as a Researcher) – WOW! Just wow! This would’ve been so valuable at the beginning of my doctoral journey and I wish this would’ve been taught to me and my cohort in our initial courses. And I really appreciated Yvonne’s focus on why we fall into these various pitfalls. I had several chuckle moments where I was like – she is reading me like a book.
The sessions were really eye opening! haha… I’m finding it difficult to find words to articulate my gratitude.
I echo most of the attendees sentiments, in that I am a perfectionist and have a fixed mindset. It was as if you were speaking directly to me.
Not only is this going to help me with my studies, it is also going to help me in my life in general I believe.
These sessions are more than motivation, they're mental re-wiring
If you’re tired of surface-level advice like “just be more confident” or “try harder”, where the sessions make you feel better for a few days, and then you find yourself back to where you were… this is for you.
This program is a practical, research-based course designed to tackle the internal barriers that hold students and professionals back from achieving their goals.
Each session provides actionable tools, psychological insight, and interactive activities to rewire how you approach your performance.
Book a 30-minute call with me to discuss a quote
Or email me at yvonne@accountingstudyadvice.com
The Research - Professional Skills & Mindset
My work is based on experience of nearly two decades of experience in teaching, mentoring and coaching students working towards professional qualifications.
Mindset and education research provides valuable insight into the practical challenges that students, especially at higher levels, may have in shifting from technical to professional-based exams.
