The Black Belt Program

Transcription

1 The Black Belt Program By Ippon. For consultants. A cutting-edge program inspired by judo techniques. Take your career to the next level!

2 Introduction At Ippon, we know that consulting isn t just about identifying room for improvement. We re about finding solutions for brands and businesses who are changing, growing, or are simply looking to optimize performance and results. As such, our role is to accompany, guide and support our clients throughout this evolutionary process. So, what makes a good consultant? Professional experience and industry know-how, although important, aren t always enough to get the job done. At Ippon, we encourage and expect our consultants to become experts in their field. To help them develop the required technical and interpersonal skills to become industry leaders, we ve created an innovative training initiative inspired by traditional judo techniques: the Black Belt Program. Below, three key personnel explain how leading digital consulting firm Ippon is transforming the way its consultants approach training and development. With: Arnaud Col Senior IT Consultant & Data Architect Christelle Verdier Chief Procurement Officer Hippolyte Durix Full-Stack Developer (Java)

3 Achieving industry-leader status with Ippon When it comes to progressing in your chosen field, it s important to regularly evaluate your skill set. Reflecting on your current level of expertise, identifying areas for development, and perfecting your knowledge of a specific subject or industry practice is all possible with Ippon s Black Belt Program. As Senior IT Consultant & Data Architect Arnaud Col explains: We re committed to working with the most talented professionals in our field. As such, our recruitment process is extremely demanding - just like our incredibly rewarding training and development programs. The emphasis placed on employee training and professional development is at the heart of Ippon s core values, and is illustrated by the company s investment in the Black Belt Program. CPO Christelle Verdier adds: The desire to push harder, go further and learn more effectively is one shared by all of us at Ippon, from our team of consultants to the CEO. Here at Ippon, there s a real sense of encouragement when it comes to achieving your professional goals. Arnaud Col, Senior IT Consultant & Data Architect Ippon in numbers Founded in consultants 9 agencies across 4 countries: France, USA, Australia and Morocco

4 Ippon and sport: it s in our DNA Why Ippon? An ippon (Japanese: 本 ) is the highest possible score in a judo match. Once an ippon is scored, the competition ends. Changing careers, changing skills with Ippon Today, Ippon s team includes 2014 world long jump champion Éloyse Lesueur, world para-badminton #1 Mathieu Thomas, and judokas Marie-Ève Gahié, Alexandre Iddir and Walide Khyar. Sport and its attributes - discipline, determination, persistence - are central to Ippon s internal culture. Arnaud Col says: The way we work at Ippon shares a number of values with the world of sport, including what in France we call dépassement de soi - literally surpassing yourself. Ippon s founder, Stéphane Nomis, himself a former judoka, has led the way in creating a company ethos that prioritizes career development for former champions. Sport and life at Ippon: three shared values Teamwork Endurance A desire to be challenged Always moving, always improving At Ippon, we value those who seek to leave their comfort zone and discover new ways to develop their skills. Just like professional athletes, Ippon s team of consultants are constantly looking to enhance their performance. Our focus on personal development is inspired by the motto of judo s founder, Jigoro Kano: It is not important to be better than someone else, but to be better than you were yesterday. As such, we ensure that we offer interesting, worthwhile projects with high added value to all of our consultants, each of whom in turn is ready to go the extra mile to deliver to our clients. Full-Stack Developer Hippolyte Durix agrees: When we re ready to make that leap, the possibilities are limitless.

5 Black Belt: a tool for consultants Ippon s goal? To support, encourage and challenge our consultants in order to help them become the very best in their field. How? With the Black Belt Program, designed by Ippon s management team and with particular input from Denis Sharpe, Ippon USA s CTO. The use of the program as a vehicle for the company s values is reflected in this statement from Christelle Verdier: With its emphasis on judo s central values, the Black Belt Program was the obvious next step when it came to offering an expert-led, ongoing training program for our consultants. The Black Belt Program, inspired by judo belt rankings As with modern judo training, each step of the Black Belt Program is symbolized by a belt. The program centers around the values and attitudes central to the martial art, while allowing consultants to improve their skills in several different fields. Program participants must be prepared to question their technical skills and expertise (hard skills) as well as their interpersonal and communication skills (soft skills). Each belt is defined by a series of objectives. Participants also benefit from a mentor who will offer guidance on how to pass from one belt to the next. A manager is very similar to a coach: we both want to get the best from our team. Arnaud Col, Senior IT Consultant & Data Architect The Black Belt Program in three words: Knowledge: With Black Belt, the participant will learn, improve, and understand. Growth: With Black Belt, the participant will progress in their chosen domain. Recognition: With Black Belt, the participant s skills and expertise will be valued.

6 Take the next step with Black Belt Full Stack Belt: our developer explains Black Belt s pilot project The Black Belt Program allows participants to accomplish their goals via clearly defined objectives, ultimately leading to an improved skill set symbolized by a belt. In the programming world, technical expertise often has the edge over communication and interpersonal skills, as Hippolyte Durix can testify: As a developer, I tend to focus on developing my hard skills. Writing and speaking don t always come as easily when you have this kind of outlook. The Black Belt Program allows participants to balance out their hard and soft skills! Hard skills vs. soft skills: creating a balanced profile Hippolyte s checklist: Hippolyte Durix, Full-Stack Developer Each consultant is supported by their technical manager, as well as their mentor, to help them visualize and attain their objectives, access resources (white papers, courses) and eventually get their next belt. As a green belt, Hippolyte s next challenge was to achieve promotion to blue belt status. With the help of his mentor, Arnaud Col (also his technical manager), the pair set up a series of easily quantifiable criteria that allowed for flexibility on the part of the participant, in order to keep the program as accessible as possible. Black Belt allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and work on my soft skills. Hard skills Experience: work on a Full-Stack application Theory: take part in an app training program Jhipster: master an app generator Frameworks: work on an app via a framework Leading: lead a project Soft skills Writing: write a blog article in English Speaking: learn how to do a flash presentation Mentoring/Teamwork: help a fellow team member with a project Selling: improve knowledge of Ippon s commercial product and services Recruiting: take part in a trade show

7 The results are in and everyone agrees! Black Belt certification acts as a symbol of the professional competence and expertise of Ippon s team of consultants. The Black Belt Program also allows participants to take ownership of their career trajectory, thanks to a series of clearly defined and attainable goals that allow for easy visualization of the next steps needed to progress. Black Belt empowers consultants to become the leading players in their own professional future. The Belt Ceremony Award Christelle Verdier, Chief Procurement Officer Once the objectives of the chosen belt have been reached (after verification by the technical manager and mentor), the participant is awarded their belt - and not just in the figurative sense! To commemorate their success, the participant s name is engraved on a real-life belt, presented to them in a judoinspired promotional ceremony. This program gives Ippon the tools to ensure its consultants are able to improve their skills, thanks to a series of SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely). For example, a manager may refer to a consultant s Black Belt achievements during their annual review to help structure and define the objectives for the coming year. The Black Belt Code: four key promises 1. A focus on progression: Black Belt proposes clearly defined, attainable objectives for smooth, coherent progression 2. A skill certificate : Each belt acts as a guarantee of the consultant s level of expertise, as well as a balance of hard and soft skills 3. Always moving, always improving: Black Belt encourages participants to adopt a stepby-step approach to their development. One belt at a time! 4. Our quality guarantee : Black Belt is Ippon s stamp of approval, certifying that consultants have reached a certain professional standard.

8 About Ippon Here at Ippon, we love challenges, whether they re from our clients or from within our industry. We firmly believe that technology has the power not just to influence business, but to provoke fundamental change at every level of our society. We re a technology consultancy. Like thousands of others. BUT, we re also a community of talented, passionate experts - and that s a lot harder to find. Join us!