Benefits of Continuous Professional Development
Some professional service sectors require CPD in order to satisfy regulatory bodies, and in these cases the individual is also improving their own standards. Apart from regulatory needs, CPD can really help you grow as an individual. It allows you to look at things differently, from a new perspective, enabling you to see the bigger picture and not just the specific area you are involved in.
Imposter syndrome can be a major factor in holding us back personally and professionally. CPD can help address this by unlocking limiting beliefs, getting out of our comfort zone and learning new things in different ways. Learning like this will give you confidence.
CPD can help us shift our mindset by discovering new aspects to certain subjects. This new found knowledge can also lead to us having a greater awareness of and respect for others by looking at things through a different lens. And given there are so many ways of undertaking CPD, you can keep changing the methods you use to learn, adapting it to suit you whichever stage you are in your life.
If you are employed, being willing to continue learning can also help when it comes to promotion or applying for new roles. You are showing yourself to be someone who wants to perform better in your role and therefore work smarter for your company.
Having employees who want to continue their learning is a positive indication to employers that they are dedicated staff members. They strive to do well at their jobs and that can be of huge benefit to a company. Any employer who offers CPD is showing they invest in their staff, which is great for staff morale, and it can be seen as a benefit to anyone applying to work there.
A company that encourages its staff to be at the top of their game is also giving themselves the opportunity to keep a step ahead of the competition. Having staff with the most relevant training and skills can make a difference to potential clients and future employees. And encouraging CPD across all staff levels means best practice will be shared and staff will support each other. We all absorb information at different rates and will each glean our own learning, perspectives and views from training.
All learning is attainable and doable, but it centres on the mindset – having the mindset that is open to learning allows you to embrace it, learn from it and act upon it. But it’s not always easy to switch mindset from professional, working mode to learning mode. A life coach can help with this, encouraging your curiosity. Or if you have been continuously learning, a life coach can help you look back at your experience and find ways of putting that learning into practice. It is so important to explore as many viewpoints and methodologies as possible. You may also find it useful to revisit if you are lacking in motivation or are feeling stuck – remembering how you felt at a particular time can be so empowering.
There is a great deal more information about CPD, including courses and accredited bodies, at The CPD Certification Service. Have a good look around and see what you can find for your industry in a format that works for you. Otherwise, you could ask your network or contacts for any books, podcasts or websites they recommend to help you further your learning.
Let me know your preferred CPD method. If you’d like to arrange a chat, or to find out more about how we could work together, send me a message or give me a call on 07808 584732 and arrange a time. I look forward to speaking to you soon.