Day 1 — Logistics Checklist¶
The goal of Day 1 is to remove every blocker that would prevent the project coordinator from doing real work on Day 2. By close of business Day 1 they should be inside every tool, named in every meeting series, and able to find their way around Box.
Pre-arrival (David / Jen, 48 hours before start)¶
- [ ] Cortado email provisioned
- [ ] Slack invite sent to the appropriate workspace; add to
#revops,#general,#interns, and any active client channels they'll touch - [ ] Box account provisioned with read access to
All Files/Clients/(read-only by default, write only on assigned engagements) - [ ] Asana seat assigned; add as collaborator to the
RevOps - Benchboard and any assigned client projects - [ ] PSA account provisioned with project coordinator role (NOT EM-level approval rights)
- [ ] Hardware: laptop shipped or pickup arranged; loaner if remote
- [ ] Calendar invites for: weekly 1:1 with your onboarding mentor, weekly RevOps standup, weekly project check-in with Bill
- [ ] Add to the talent portal "active project coordinators" view so they roll off the applicant queue
Day 1 morning (project coordinator, self-serve)¶
- [ ] Log in to email, Slack, Box, Asana, PSA — confirm access; report failures in
#interns - [ ] Read this README and the
onboarding_plan.md - [ ] Watch the Cortado Group Message Orientation recording (
Corporate - Marketing/Marketing - Branding 2022/Message Orientation/Cortado Group Message Orientation Session 22Aug2022 x.mp4) + flip through the companion deck - [ ] Skim the Cortado Group Reading List (
Corporate - SHARED/Shared - Onboarding (2023)/Cortado Group Reading List_Updated August 2025.pdf) - [ ] Open the org chart (
Corporate - SHARED/Shared - Onboarding (2023)/CG_Organizational_Chart_v5_240228.pdf) — see who reports to whom - [ ] Read the headshot guidance and submit your photo (
Cortado_Group_Headshot_Guidance_051223.pdfin same folder) - [ ] Bookmark the PMO Site (https://sites.google.com/cortadogroup.com/pmo/) — this is the canonical home for project management methodology, terminology, and reference material
- [ ] Update Slack profile: photo, full name, role title "Project Coordinator", location/timezone
- [ ] Set up Asana for Slack integration (video 10) — this is non-negotiable; we run the firm on Slack and Asana
Day 1 afternoon (live)¶
- [ ] 30 min — Welcome with David (org philosophy, where the firm is heading)
- [ ] 30 min — Onboarding mentor kickoff with your onboarding mentor (expectations, check-in cadence, channels)
- [ ] 30 min — Project assignment briefing with Bill (the specific engagement they're joining)
- [ ] Async — Read
Onboarding Guide Template.docxfrom the Talent Program folder, write three questions to bring to the next 1:1 with your onboarding mentor
Communication norms (read once, internalize)¶
These are not rules the company writes down but ones you'll be measured against:
- BLUF every message. Bottom Line Up Front. The first sentence of any Slack message or email is the conclusion or the ask. Context goes after.
- Default to public channels. DMs are for the rare confidential thing. The firm runs in the open.
- Acknowledge within 4 business hours. "Got it, will have an answer by EOD" is a complete acknowledgment. Silence is not.
- Communicate seven times seven ways. (David, on the call.) Important messages need repetition across forums. Don't assume one Slack post landed.
- Update Asana before the standup, not during. If your task status is fresh at the meeting, the meeting is 5 minutes. If it's not, the meeting is 30.
Where to find things¶
| Need | Location |
|---|---|
| Any client document | Box → All Files/Clients/<client>/<addendum>/ |
| Engagement methodology / playbooks | Box → Corporate - SHARED/Shared - Delivery Guides/ |
| Templates (project plans, decks, status reports) | Box → Corporate - SHARED/ or the engagement's own 4. Deliverables/ folder |
| Asana training | Box → HR - Learning & Development/Asana/ (12 videos) |
| Consultant skills (Steercos, storytelling, BLUF) | Box → HR - Learning & Development/Consultant Development Program/ |
| HR / Talent / Onboarding references | Box → HR - Learning & Development/Consultant Development Program/Additional Brilliance/Talent Program/ |
| Forecasting, capacity, resourcing | PSA (login at the URL David provides) |
| Hiring pipeline / applicants | talent.cortadogroup.com (most project coordinators will not need access — ask your onboarding mentor) |
First red flags to escalate¶
If by end of Day 3 any of these are still true, escalate to your onboarding mentor:
- Can't access a tool you've been told to use
- Don't know who your EM is on the assigned engagement
- Haven't been added to the relevant client Slack channel
- Haven't had a 1:1 with your onboarding mentor scheduled
These are the small things that snowball. We'd rather fix them on Day 3 than discover them on Day 30.