Designing a top-notch simulation for budding tax consultants

At a Big Four accounting and tax firm, the world was changing. Being a tax specialist in a back room, cranking out numbers would no longer be enough. Junior-level people interested in being promoted needed to start thinking creatively about issues affecting clients, and offer proactive solutions.

To create this change in mindset, the client had hoped to make minor modifications to an existing course. But DN1's needs analysis revealed the necessity for these budding consultants to recognize the big picture - the whole life cycle of their clients. This meant the client would need to move away from more traditional learning approaches. The consultants needed to be immersed in compelling, challenging and believable business simulations.

DN1 designed, developed and helped facilitate a rigorous weeklong course that allowed these specialists to experience the fast-paced challenges of tax consulting, and to practice the skill sets they would need to master. The feedback was unanimously positive, and additional courses based on this experiential model are in the works.

© 2006 Drawing Number One, Inc. (DN1)