By partnering with Intrepid, Grant Thornton transformed its Manager Development Program (MDP), achieving a 90% attendance rate, 83% completion rate, and an NPS score of 53. The Intrepid platform streamlined the year-long learning journey, reduced administrative overhead, and supported the firm’s digital badging program to drive engagement. This scalable approach now sets a benchmark for impactful leadership development.
Challenge
Grant Thornton, a global professional services firm, sought a cohesive, skills-focused leadership development program to build client-centric managers capable of delivering personalized experiences to clients. Previous programs were a series of disconnected sessions, lacking the structured focus to truly build skills, peer connections, and a network of support.
To address this, a centralized platform was needed to enable the year-long learning journey and power cohort-level activities with feedback and coaching so managers could advance together. The platform also promoted engagement (initially hovering at 50%) by allowing for better progress tracking to increase both learner participation and senior leader support.
To address this, a centralized platform was needed to enable the year-long learning journey and power cohort-level activities with feedback and coaching so managers could advance together. The platform also promoted engagement (initially hovering at 50%) by allowing for better progress tracking to increase both learner participation and senior leader support.
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Solution
In partnership with Intrepid, Grant Thornton revamped its Manager Development Program (MDP) with targeted enhancements:
- Centralized Platform & Badging: The Intrepid platform allowed for a single digital hub that makes it easy for participants to find and track materials, especially asynchronous activities and on-the-job experiences in order to earn a program digital badge.
- Career-Aligned Learning Journeys: Program structure aligned with career milestones, guiding participants from new manager to experienced manager and ultimately to senior manager or director.
- Peer Collaboration & Continuous Feedback: Cohort-based activities and discussion board assignments created frequent feedback loops that fostered a collaborative learning environment, enhancing engagement and accountability.
- Optimized Schedule: Spaced learning journey with live sessions in fall and self-study in the spring aligned with business cycles to maintain steady participation and engagement.
- Interactive Coaching: Self-study modules paired with role-play during live, virtual sessions built essential coaching and feedback skills that increase coaching effectiveness and employee satisfaction.
"Creating a true learning experience across an entire year—especially for hundreds of managers—requires intentional design and the right tools. With Intrepid’s platform, we transformed our Manager Development Program into a seamless, engaging journey, where participants could access everything they needed in one place, driving both accountability and real impact."
Amy Happ - Director of Leadership Development & Learning Innovation, Learning & Effectiveness, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC
Results
The enhancements to Grant Thornton’s Manager Development Program produced measurable results:
These results underscore the program's impact and scalability for leadership development.
- 90% Attendance Rate: Restructured scheduling achieved 90% attendance across live, virtual sessions.
- 83% Badge Completion Digital badging boosted completion of program elements from 36% to 83%; badge earners showed higher billable hours and improved feedback scores.
- 53 NPS Score: Maximizing live, virtual time with interactive role-playing raised the overall Net Promoter Score to 53, well above the target of 30.
- 4.4+ Skill Rating: Content relevancy and skill impact scored 4.4+ out of 5.
- Leadership Buy-In: Increased senior leader visibility and quarterly progress tracking drove stronger program support and engagement.
These results underscore the program's impact and scalability for leadership development.