CDA Business Academy
Curriculum
Set Goals All the Time
We begin by crafting a vision for the company, our long-term goal 3-5-years from now. This will be the North Star for our entire team. Then we learn what makes a 'good goal' and create company-wide, department-level, & individual goals that align with our vision. Learning outcomes of this section include:
- Set a company-wide vision.
- Learn how to create good goals.
- Create goals for the company, departments & each employee.
Focus On the Process Not a Plan
We’ll get a baseline of our company's current status by collecting valuable information. Using that as a baseline we will adopt a planning process so our company can adapt to today’s ever-changing conditions. Learning outcomes of this section include:
- Measure current company state.
- Replace the business plan.
- Create strategies for a constant planning process.
Coach the Right People
We’ll clearly define positions at our business, and create position descriptions for ourselves and key roles within the organization. Then we identify the right natural abilities needed for these roles, and if we have our people in the best place for success currently. Learning outcomes of this section include:
- How to build the right team.
- Learn to identify natural abilities.
- Create position descriptions for yourself and every employee.
Serve the Right Customer
We begin by identifying our right customers, then determine how we find more of these right customers, building a sales process to serve them, streamlining our operations processes around them, and finally fostering a culture & strategies necessary to serve the right customer. Learning outcomes of this section include:
- Identify your good customers.
- Define your generic strategy.
- Create a sales process & refine your operations processes.
Empower Your Entire Team
Learn how managers empower their team members by establishing clear goals and allowing people to achieve those goals in their own way, through our system of “wide boulevards, high curbs”. We determine if our team members meet the criteria required to work in an environment of empowerment and how to coach them in they can. Learning outcomes of this section include:
- Learn the life-cycle of a manager.
- Build an empowerment culture.
- Create an organization of 'Wide Boulevards, High Curbs'.
Do the Right Things Right
We will use six tools to monitor and manage our company’s performance and build our own System of Managing—a clear and effective means of providing clarity and purpose to team members while steering everyone to accomplish their individual goals, as well as the company’s goals. Learning outcomes of this section include:
- Learn the six tools to measure & manage goal achievement.
- Create a system of management for your team.
Demystifying the Financials
Using a case study, we will understand how to read and use financial statements. With the case study as real-world context, we will also learn about projections, inventory, accounts receivable, and cash flow and how to use this information to build stronger businesses. Using a real-life case study, we will:
- Learn how to properly read the financial documents.
- Further understand the benefits of accurate projections.
- Build out your own financial models of success.
Applying the Financials
With a new understanding of the basics, we will focus on specific elements that grow the bottom line. We start by calculating our own financial ratios, and how to set realistic goals for your business with them. From there we learn how to easily use break-even analysis to inform everyday decisions. Learning outcomes of this section include:
- Dive deep into how to calculate the important financial ratios and set realistic goals for each of these ratios.
- Understand the cash flows (in and out) of your business.
- Calculate your break-even to inform every decision.
Learn more about the CDA Business Academy here. For questions about the program, please contact Lauren Herbert.