Project Clear Path

CBM believes each employee contributes directly to the firm’s growth and success, and we make a proactive investment in the growth of each team member so their work remains challenging, enjoyable, and rewarding.

That’s why CBM created Project Clear Path, a professional development initiative focused on helping employees reach their full potential by providing a “clear path” to meeting personal and firm-wide goals.

Project Clear Path pairs staff at all levels with a more experienced team member based on a multi-tiered program (see outline below).  Together, the two set meaningful goals and timelines for achieving them, which are aligned with CPE/training schedules, annual employee evaluations, and work assignments to ensure consistency throughout the firm.

Project Clear Path is also an important resource to help advance the professional development of female and minority professionals through the firm’s diversity and inclusion project, CBM D-PATH.

About Project Clear Path

CBM’s professional development program offers three tiers of support to team members including:

• Buddy Program – The buddy program is focused on orienting new team members (those who have been with the firm for up to 6 months) to CBM’s operations. Each new team member’s “buddy” is a more experienced CBM team member who will help the team member become better situated at the firm. This program has been tested and refined with incoming staff so our current model maximizes the chance that new team members will get to know at least one colleague fairly well right after they join the firm and that they will be set up for long-term success at CBM.
• Coaching Program – The coaching program meets the particular needs of staff, seniors and seniors-in charge. The team member’s coach will be a professional one or two positions above the level of the team member, and will help them focus on identifying specific skills needed for their role, strategies for managing day-to-day challenges and helping to identify proper training needs. CBM has enrolled its coaches in a training program through Upstream Academy, an industry-recognized group focused on professional development, training and support that accelerates the growth of accounting firms.
• Mentoring Program – The mentoring program is for team members who are supervisors or in higher-level positions. The team member’s mentor helps identify their career aspirations, seeks to maximize their strengths and helps each member continue to grow as a professional at CBM to maximize their leadership development potential.

Professional Development Resources

Additionally, CBM has invested in a professional development tool, Prolaera, through which all CBM professionals develop a trajectory for their careers based on ongoing learning and knowledge, and their particular learning needs.

Joining CBM can provide you with unique growth opportunities not available from other firms that lack formal mentoring programs.