The Talent Development (TD) team at IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) created a leadership development program focused on grooming first-line supervisors and junior managers. The ASCENT—“The Foundation for Your Leadership Journey” program was initiated to equip first-time managers (or those aspiring to the role) to deliver better business results, transformative leadership, and trusted partnership for success.
Program Details
Participants are trained in process, functional, and managerial skills. They also attend training in HR processes such as performance management, competency development, and employee motivation. This six-day program is a versatile developmental workshop that adopts a creative and learner-centric methodology to help first-time managers hone critical behavioral skills to help them play their role effectively. Training in quality processes and project management skills is prerequisite for the program.
The program was designed using the Accelerated Learning methodology, which includes learner-centered activities and role-plays to increase the retention of learning.
ASCENT is deployed through the story of an individual contributor who has just been selected to lead a project. Each day begins with a short video on this character, setting the context of learning for the day. Each day in ASCENT is a buildup on the previous day, with the learning objects interwoven. It is a journey associates traverse, introducing them to the various key facets of the role of a project manager.
ASCENT was designed with people’s different learning styles in mind. Concepts are reinforced in the form of reading material, videos, caselets, and posters or flash cards, followed by thought-provoking discussions or presentations. Every day ends with a “reflection/recap” time when associates have to list their key learnings from the day and write down ways in which they would implement the learning at work, and in their personal lives. ASCENT helps associates evolve their action plan for the following three months.
More than 3,500 first-time managers have been trained since the launch of the program last year.
To address the issues of scale, spread, and speed of growth of the organization, the program is deployed in synchronous virtual mode using the high-tech virtual iQlassrooms. Benefits of iQlassrooms include:
- Ability to train more participants as compared to traditional classroom training
- Participants can connect with global peers and experience diversity of thoughts
- 360-day reduction in the number of days of faculty engagement by batching four locations together as one program. This resulted in a cost savings of 1,250,000 INR (U.S.$18,321) (remuneration plus travel cost)
Results
- Enhanced managerial acumen for a thorough grounding in project finance, driving results and identifying and managing project risks effectively
- Participants’ capabilities are augmented to ensure a smooth transition through an understanding of self-management and the required behavioral attributes
- Collaboration for business results by focusing on some of the critical and essential areas of stakeholder management, including handling difficult situations, escalations, and disagreements, and reporting exceptions
- Improvement in project management competency numbers
- Participants reported 100 percent CSI in projects
- Innovations/process improvements in projects leading to revenue generation of up to U.S.$22,500 in one project implementation.
- Improvement in quality of deliverables through defect-free delivery and first-time right delivery.
