Photo: David Hirvonen
Meet Inka Rantanen, a coach and growth agent at Growthroom. Inka’s special area of interest is change management and her experience comes from her corporate background in business development and business coaching. She has gained experience in project management and team leading, and is now shifting her full focus on training, facilitating and coaching.
Inka has always had a natural interest towards people and their behaviour, and she started coaching before she even realized it was called that. “One of my team members in my past workplace suggested that I should get to know more about coaching. She said she felt like my way of thinking was so refreshing and different from hers. She thought I could make something out of that natural trait of finding new solutions and focusing on one’s strengths when faced with an issue. That’s how the journey began for me.” Inka’s team members and colleagues say that her superpower is energising the team or the group she’s leading or working with. Inka has a great ability to make everyone feel acknowledged and inspired towards working on a common goal or solving a problem. Her way of communicating is honest and authentic and always curious. She rarely misses an opportunity to learn, even through observing others.
“Because of my experience in the business development world, I have a strong grasp of what today’s professionals are looking for. Companies that are one step ahead of others invest in the employee experience. Working has become people-centric and work and personal life is expected to be able to coexist. COO of Facebook Sheryl Sandberg came up with the metaphor of the “career jungle gym” already in 2013, meaning the idea of vertical growth as the opposite of the traditional career ladder. I think the Finnish people are warming up to this more flexible thinking regarding their work careers and are making more space for fulfilling their values and passions. It’s a win-win situation for the companies as well when they have thriving people working for them. I passionately want to be a part of this movement.” Her goal is to develop expertise in training and facilitating workshops and events for people and organisations. She wants to help them in developing and maintaining the skillset and the tools needed in gaining ground for their desired careers and personal passions. Her enthusiasm for coaching goes side by side with this goal.
“I think it is interesting and very possible to be ambitious in working life and take care of your physical and mental health at the same time. Almost as if one can’t really exist without the other. My ongoing vision is to discover and distribute different methods on succeeding in the material world (and the meaning of that is of course defined by each on their own) and honour people’s health and values at the same time.”
Inka works with people and organizations who want to achieve a positive, lasting change. Her best clients are willing to challenge themselves into thinking in new ways. Even Albert Einstein said that “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” If you want to have a one-to-one session with Inka, book a coaching session with her or send her a message.
In this blog series we make you familiar with us and introduce you to our precious members - your personal growth agents. Up next will be Juni, a coach and serial entrepreneur with extensive experience from the business world. Juni is our powerhouse and has the inspiring ability to make things happen!