Overview
The transition from an individual contributor to a first-line manager is a pivotal step in your career—one that comes with both exciting opportunities and new challenges. As organisations increasingly rely on managers to drive team performance and organisational success, mastering the fundamentals of leadership has never been more critical.
The ASCEND programme by Korn Ferry Academy is designed to equip you with the tools, insights, and confidence needed to excel in your role. Through this programme, you’ll enhance your self-awareness to perform at your best, sharpen your business acumen to make informed decisions, and learn to effectively deliver results through others. You’ll also build skills to manage diverse teams in today’s multigenerational workforce and strengthen your presence as a leader who inspires trust and collaboration. By focusing on practical, relevant strategies, this programme helps you build a strong foundation for success in your current role and prepares you to take on future challenges with confidence.
Why Join this Programme
The Korn Ferry Academy’s ASCEND Programme features five essential course modules designed to equip first-line managers with the skills and confidence to grow into a leader your team can rally around.
Additionally, the programme enables you to leverage insights from the proprietary Korn Ferry Talent Assessment and receive personalised coaching to sharpen your leadership skills as first-line managers.
Korn Ferry Talent Assessment
The programme kicks off with the Korn Ferry Talent Assessment, a powerful tool designed to uncover your current capabilities and future potential. It provides deep insights into the skills, behaviours, and mindsets critical for achieving your goals, offering a comprehensive analysis of your strengths, opportunities, and growth areas. The detailed development feedback report enables you to create a personalised blueprint for success.
To further enhance your understanding of the report, the Korn Ferry Academy conducts a group debrief to guide you in interpreting the results and prioritise your growth areas as you progress through the ASCEND Programme.
Self-Awareness for Peak Performance
The journey to peak performance begins with understanding yourself. In Module 1, a two-day course on Self-Awareness for Peak Performance, you’ll embark on your programme journey by dismantling limiting mindsets and embracing agile practices that amplify your effectiveness. By uncovering how your habits and beliefs influence your success, you’ll gain the tools to break through personal and professional barriers.
By the end of this module, you’ll have a deeper understanding of your strengths and areas for growth, enabling you to align your actions with purpose. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your focus or inspire others, this module provides the foundation for a career that’s not only high-performing but also deeply meaningful.
Business Acumen for Commercial Success
Success in today’s dynamic business environment requires understanding how your role contributes to the bigger picture. Module 2, a two-day course on Business Acumen for Commercial Success, helps you broaden your perspective beyond your immediate responsibilities, empowering you to make informed, strategic decisions. By building essential commercial insights and connecting your work to organisational goals, you’ll elevate your impact and position yourself as a key contributor to your organisation’s success.
This module deepens your understanding of business fundamentals, highlighting how every department drives the organisation. By fostering a business-savvy mindset, you’ll gain the insights and confidence to engage in strategic discussions, making you even more valued within your organisation.
Delivering Results Through Others
Effective leadership isn’t just about achieving personal success—it’s about delivering results through others. In Module 3, a two-day course on Delivering Results Through Others, you’ll learn how to build cohesive, high-performing teams using Korn Ferry’s TEAMM framework. This practical model guides leaders in setting clear targets, engaging team members, and aligning goals to create a collaborative and productive team culture.
By mastering the art of team leadership, you’ll be equipped to inspire individuals to excel in their roles while fostering an environment of trust and collaboration. This module ensures you leave with actionable skills and strategies to develop motivated, results-driven teams that thrive under your leadership.
Performance Management in a Multigenerational Workforce
Today’s workforce is more diverse than ever, requiring you to adapt your performance management approach as you lead your team. Module 4, a one-day course on Performance Management in a Multigenerational Workforce, focuses on navigating the unique needs, aspirations, and preferences of different generations, creating a culture of high performance and mutual respect. Moving beyond stereotypes, this interactive module uses research-based insights to help you bridge generational divides and manage evolving team dynamics.
Through real-world scenarios and hands-on activities, you’ll develop practical strategies to deliver impactful feedback and re-engage disengaged team members. This module equips you to foster productivity and engagement, even in hybrid work settings, ensuring that your team thrives in today’s complex workplace.
Elevating Your Personal Brand and Executive Presence
Your personal brand shapes how others perceive you and plays a critical role in your career progression. The final Module on this programme journey, a one-day course on Elevating Your Personal Brand and Executive Presence, is designed to help you craft an authentic and impactful personal brand that aligns with your professional aspirations. You’ll learn how to create a lasting impression, communicate your value effectively, and project confidence in every interaction.
By the end of this module, you’ll have a clear roadmap to enhance your executive presence, amplify your influence and take charge of your professional narrative to advance your career with purpose and confidence.
Personalised Coaching
At Korn Ferry Academy, we understand that embarking on a professional development journey can be a formidable challenge and that true progress requires more than just knowledge—it demands tailored guidance and strategic insights. That’s why we have integrated personalised coaching into this programme, acknowledging it as a critical tool for addressing your specific challenges.
With three one-on-one virtual coaching sessions strategically placed throughout the programme, you’ll gain valuable insights and discover how to apply them to your unique professional or business context, shaping your journey with practical, actionable solutions.
Assessment & Evaluation
To successfully complete this programme, participants must meet the following requirements for each of the five course modules:
- Complete the online pre-readings.
- Attend all facilitator-led in-person sessions.
- Achieve a passing grade on the online assessment.
- Submit course and overall programme evaluations.
Participants will have a two-day window after each module to complete the evaluation and assessment, which will be conducted online. You must complete the evaluation and successfully pass the assessment to be eligible for your individual course certificate.
To qualify for funding, participants must maintain at least 75% attendance and pass all individual module assessments. Upon successfully completing all five modules, you will be awarded the overall programme completion certificate. For more details, please refer to our Terms & Conditions.
Programme Fees & Funding
| Participant Profile | Self-Sponsored | Company-Sponsored | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SME | NON-SME | ||
|
Singapore Citizen ≥ 40 years old |
$1,320.80
(After SSG Funding 70% + MCES Funding** 20%) |
$1,320.80
(After SSG Funding 70% + ETSS Funding* 20%) |
$1,320.80
(After SSG Funding 70% + MCES Funding** 20%) |
|
Singapore Citizen < 40 years old / Permanent Resident |
$3,400.80
(After SSG Funding 70%) |
$1,320.80
(After SSG Funding 70% + ETSS Funding* 20%) |
$3,400.80
(After SSG Funding 70% ) |
| International Participant |
$11,336.00
(No Funding) |
$11,336.00
(No Funding) |
$11,336.00
(No Funding) |
*ETSS – Enhanced Training Support for SMEs
**MCES – Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy
Participants may use SkillsFuture Credit (SFC) to offset fees
Course Fees are inclusive of 9% Goods & Services Tax
Programme Schedule
| Course Title | Cohort 1 Date(s) | Cohort 2 Date(s) |
|---|---|---|
|
Self-Awareness for Peak
Performance
|
5 & 6 Mar
|
23 & 24 Jul
|
| Business Acumen for Commercial Success | 25 & 26 Mar | 25 & 26 Aug |
| Delivering Results through Others | 28 & 29 Apr | 17 & 18 Sep |
| Performance Management in a Multigenerational Workforce | 27 May | 30 Oct |
| Elevating your Personal Brand and Executive Presence | 16 Jun | 26 Nov |
CONTINUE YOUR LEARNING JOURNEY
Identifying and Developing Future Leaders
Innovation Leadership:
Mastering The Working Backwards Methodology
Retaining Top Talent
Rise to your new role
You’ve got big shoes to fill. Contact us and discover how Korn Ferry Academy can help you achieve more as a people manager.
