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Understand and embrace concepts vital to your firm’s success and to your individual career. Our Career Development Series is designed to help accounting firms provide vital skill development training to firm members at multiple levels.
Each year we present several series geared toward specific firm levels: Operational Professional, pre-Manager and Manager.
Each series of eight one-hour webinars includes tools for generating discussion and encouraging immediate implementation of lessons learned, establishing a skill development process of listening to learn, learning to do and doing to become.
To ensure that as many people as possible receive value from your firm’s involvement in each series, there’s no limit to the number of individuals at that firm level who can participate in each webinar.
Two weeks after the session, the firm also receives access to on-demand training to allow those unable to attend the live version the opportunity to catch up (and receive CPE). Participants will have one year to request CPE in this way.
To ensure that as many people as possible receive value from your firm’s participation in each series, there is no limit to the number of individuals at the firm level who may join us for each webinar.
$2,500 per firm ($2,100 for UAN members)
Sessions held at 8am Pacific, 9am Mountain, 10am Central, 11am Eastern
As a professional in the changing field of public accounting, you have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the firm, your firm members and clients’ businesses. To make the most of your career you need to proactively and consistently improve your skills, confidence and ability. This series will introduce you to the skills you’ll need for career development and best practices for continuous improvement.
Individuals early in their careers often get caught up in tasks and leave problem-solving to others. This mindset risks career stagnation, missed deadlines, and costly errors. Let’s discuss common problem-solving pitfalls, best practices for thinking critically under pressure, and when and how to solve problems rather than pass them off. Whether navigating complex projects or day-to-day issues, learn to tackle obstacles confidently and effectively.
When faced with new challenges, there’s value in the struggle. Feeling stuck, however, can lead to frustration, burnout, and lost momentum. Let’s discuss how to embrace challenges as steppingstones to success so you can recognize unproductive struggle, avoid unhelpful repetition, and turn challenges into learning opportunities. Learn to proactively seek experiences and resources to help your career grow while developing resilience and focus.
Waiting to learn business development skills until you’re more experienced can limit career growth and impede future influence. Let’s explore practical steps to start building business development skills early in your career. We’ll explain strategies to help you proactively improve relationships, effectively recognize growth areas, and start developing a mutually-beneficial network that leads to opportunity.
Taking lead with clients is more easily said than done, but without client responsibility your career can stagnate. So how do you demonstrate you’re ready to be trusted with important firm clients and how can you ensure that trust is not misplaced? Let’s discuss how to develop a proactive approach to accountability and leadership in your client and firm interactions.
Everyone wants to control their careers, but working independently without collaboration can lead to inefficiencies, miscommunication, and missed opportunities for innovation. So how do you find the balance? Let’s discuss how to ensure autonomy doesn’t lead to isolation by fostering communication, aligning personal goals with team objectives, and building trust to create a cohesive firm culture.
Overlooking small tasks can hinder firm processes, undermine efficiency, damage trust, and derail progress. Let’s talk about why mastering the details matters and how boring or repetitive tasks can contribute to big-picture success. We’ll discuss how to manage frustrations productively to maintain motivation and turn even the smallest tasks into building blocks for success.
Communication can be difficult, frustrating, and full of pitfalls when rapport is lacking. So, how can you empathize and connect when you can’t seem to find any common ground? Let’s talk about navigating such situations with professionalism by bridging gaps, clarifying misunderstandings, and building rapport even with challenging interpersonal dynamics.
Managing priorities without direct authority can be a challenge. Let’s talk about strategies for organizing tasks, influencing decisions, and aligning with team goals to eliminate frustration, inefficiency, and overlooked contributions. We’ll discuss how to navigate competing demands, communicate effectively, and maximize impact from any role. Empower yourself to lead through action.
Sessions held at 10am Pacific, 11am Mountain, 12noon Central, 1pm Eastern
One of the most pivotal (but challenging) points in an accounting career is the advancement to Manager. When you become a Manager, you accept greater responsibility for the success of both your team and the firm. Implied in this commitment is your best effort to proactively improve both your skills and your ability to contribute to firm success.
Great leaders build their successors. Neglecting to empower your team can lead to stagnation both for you and them. So how do you foster a culture of mentorship? Let’s discuss how to encourage growth in others, delegate effectively, and prepare your team for leadership. Create a legacy of success, ensuring continuity and long-term career excitement for you and your team.
Too many firm members are embarrassed to confess confusion over firm financials. But a lack of firm financial literacy will severely impede your career. Let’s demystify firm financials, learn how to identify and analyze critical metrics, and ensure your personal metrics align with firm expectations and goals. Gain a deeper understanding of how all the numbers fit together.
Relying on inauthentic BD strategies can erode trust and hinder relationship-building. Let’s talk about how to make more genuine connections that lead to sustainable, organic growth. We’ll discuss how to identify your unique strengths, be more authentic, and nurture lasting professional relationships to turn authenticity into a key driver of success.
No one should be as invested in your career as you are. But often individuals allow their careers to follow someone else’s vision, with very little input. An enjoyable and successful career requires you to own it. Let’s discuss how to find direction and steer your career toward your passions by setting goals, identifying opportunities, and advocating for your career.
Change is inevitable—navigating it successfully is optional. Resistance to change can create stress, inefficiency, and lost trust. So, how do you adapt, contribute, and thrive during periods of change? Let’s talk about recognizing the benefits, minimizing the downsides, maintaining productivity, and supporting others through transitions. Learn to embrace change with confidence.
Too often, disorganized firm projects lead to stress, missed deadlines, and dissatisfied clients. Let’s talk about how to enhance client service by applying core project management principles. Let’s discuss how to set clear goals, manage timelines, and communicate effectively to deliver outstanding results. Learn to structure projects for success and consistently exceed client expectations.
Unclear expectations, murky communication, and lack of accountability can derail client relationships and engagements. Let’s talk about how to encourage collaboration and shared responsibility by setting clear boundaries, maintaining transparency, and empowering clients to participate actively. You can build client partnerships that ensure shared responsibility and great outcomes for everyone.
In a hybrid work environment, building meaningful connections is more important – and more difficult – than ever. Let’s talk about practical strategies to foster relationships within your firm and with clients. We’ll share strategies to create connections with teammates and clients to foster engagement, communication, and trust across virtual and in-person settings.
Sessions held at 12noon Pacific, 1pm Mountain, 2pm Central, 3pm Eastern
Our profession is unique and making a positive impact on the firm and your firm members means understanding what makes accounting firms tick and your role in the firm’s success. During this series, we’ll focus on how you as an operational professional (HR, L&D, COO, Firm Administrator, etc.) can make the most of your career by proactively and consistently improving your skills, confidence and ability.
Inefficient workflows can cause bottlenecks, wasted time, and frustration at the team and firm levels. Let’s discuss how to identify inefficiencies and drive improvements in processes. We’ll talk about how to recognize inefficient processes, streamline tasks, and use feedback to refine operations. Learn to make a measurable impact in your role.
Silos between operations and client service professionals can hinder communication, collaboration, and overall success. To bridge the gap you’ll need to foster cross-departmental teamwork, help align goals, and improve transparency. Let’s build a culture of collaboration that enhances efficiency and drives results. Gain actionable insights to break down silos and create a cohesive culture for firm-wide success.
An uninspiring career makes finding purpose in work difficult. So how can you more proactively align your career with your passions and values? Let’s talk about how to determine where passion and firm objectives intersect and tools to help you achieve career success while following your passion and ambitions. Build a career that energizes and inspires you!
A house of cards may stand for a few levels, but as you expand and improve, it’s more and more likely to come down. Don’t wait for the stalled growth and inefficiencies to compel you to update your operational framework. Let’s talk about how to design operational structures that evolve with your firm. Learn to build a foundation that supports long-term success.
Too often, meetings are held because they are on the schedule – not because important topics need input from carefully selected individuals. Poorly managed meetings waste time, frustrate participants and drain morale. Let’s discuss how to plan meetings that are more engaging and effective by transforming meetings into valuable opportunities for collaboration and progress.
When operations and strategy are misaligned, efficiency and growth suffer. Day-to-day operations should have a clear role in moving your firm toward its overarching vision. Let’s talk about how to connect the dots between where the firm is headed and how they will get there by creating a seamless link between operations and vision.
Being overlooked in decision-making processes limits your influence, impact, and career. So how can you gain recognition and contribute meaningfully to leadership discussions? Let’s talk about how to start building the trust and experience needed to meaningfully contribute and how you can use your position to confidently find your voice, advocate for your ideas, and make your seat count.
As with everything Upstream Academy does, your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you are not completely satisfied with the value you receive, we will either refund your money or accept a portion of those fees that reflects your level of satisfaction.
