Background  Having previously completed various training programs with Ascend, including sessions on supervisory skills, communication and new employee onboarding, an accounting firm with 30 employees reached out to Ascend for consultation, development and delivery of a custom company-wide project management training program. Program Goals & Challenges
The overarching goal of the training was to bring consistency to a range of project management processes, turnaround times and expectations with regard to their client projects. Specific issues to tackle in the training program included:
- Inconsistent standards of response times to and from clients,
- Inconsistent expectations from senior partners and staff accountants regarding timing, follow up and accountability on project milestones and deliverables,
- Inconsistent use of tools by project managers, such as software and document formats, and
- No process in place allowing for access to project status without asking the team member directly handling the project.
Additional challenges in rolling out the program included scheduling the sessions so the entire team could go through the training at once, addressing reluctant trainees who wanted to continue doing things "their way" and reassuring frustrated staff who wanted consistency in process and program management throughout the firm.
Program "To-Do" List:
Based on the issues and challenges outlined above, the following list of key training topics was identified to be covered in the curriculum: - Understanding stakeholders, their expectations, needs and roles.
- Planning projects and clarifying expectations.
- Setting timelines and assigning tasks.
- Developing a project work schedule.
- Developing communication plans.
- Establishing baselines, monitoring progress and managing change.
- Agreeing upon norms around frequency and format of updates, communication and follow-through.
Solution Ascend collaborated with the firm's senior management to conduct a detailed needs analysis leading to the development of an initial training outline, ensuring all areas of project management inconsistency and challenges were addressed and that sufficient time was allotted to adequately cover each area. Ascend then worked with the senior management group to massage and revise the outline to arrive at the final curriculum plan. In the end, two 4-hour sessions were conducted, spaced two days apart. One administrative professional was kept out of the training to answer phone calls and maintain front office operations. The program was tailored to the client's needs, with specific activities assigned to small groups. These activities addressed previous issues and scenarios typically experienced by their company and within their industry, as communicated to Ascend by the senior management group by request. Outcome The client and participants were extremely pleased with the training program and have found great value in applying project management consistency throughout the organization. Due to the continued success of this partnership, Ascend regularly conducts two soft skills training programs for this client during their "slower" season. Feedback from training program participants included:
"I found great value in how the program was customized to our firm and the specific challenges and scenarios in our industry." "I really liked the group projects, team interaction, and the activities conducted at each table." "We always enjoy Ascend's classes!"
| 
