Feature insight - learning and development
Elaine Gibson MSc FCIPP FHEA MCMI, CIPP’s education director, discusses why CPD is fundamentally important Use CPD to promote your success
B efore I discuss continuing start with a number of questions: ● Do you ever stop learning? ● Will technology ever stop evolving? ● Does legislation stop changing? ● Will you always want to stay in your current role? ● Has your organisation stopped evolving or improving? Of course, we all know the answer to each of the above questions is ‘no’, so please hold this thought. Now I pose a few questions to provoke further food for thought. Would you employ an unqualified trade person to fit gas or re wire your house? Again, I am sure the answer for most of us would be ‘no’. So, are the payroll, pensions and reward industries any different? To get to my point, paying people is most certainly the largest cost to business so would you just leave the job to anyone? Hopefully, your answer is ‘no’. In my role as education director for the CIPP, on an almost daily basis I come across industry professionals who are passionate about their profession and see keeping up to date as a given. However, when it comes to continuing professional development (CPD), I observe that achievements, activities and learning opportunities are not always recognised and recorded. By not recording your CPD you are wasting an opportunity, as you can all too easily forget the detail of such events and therefore miss the opportunity to promote yourself. As an individual, you are unique and you need to promote that uniqueness. Part of my role is to deliver module one of the Master of Science in Business and Reward Management: appreciating skills for career development and leadership. A significant part of this module is do, professional development (CPD) and why it is important, I want to
● Date of activity and facility to add supporting evidence ● What did you learn? ● Does the activity relate to your current role or other? ● How does the activity assist you in future development? ● Do you require further development? The last question in that list shows that CPD is a reflective exercise and one activity can lead to another. When you begin to recognise and understand your own development needs you can: ● gain new experiences by addressing real business challenges, understanding real dilemmas and solving real problems ● reflect on experiences – your own and those of others ● develop your own way of moving forward and act, and ● mature personally and professionally. An important point to note is that, in line with the CIPP members’ code of conduct (http://bit.ly/2uvYE7o), the CIPP requires all full and fellow members to complete a CPD record. There is even more of an incentive for members on the immediate horizon, as the CIPP will launch Individual Chartered Status. So, as well as the application criteria you will have to demonstrate that you have been keeping your CPD up to date. So why not start now? Once you have recorded your achievements, you will really be able to see what your unique success looks like. The benefits of this to you include: ● additional motivation ● increased emotional intelligence ● better self-awareness and analysis ● enhanced confidence. n
plan, check, act, work SMART; all ways of describing and carrying out CPD linked to leadership. This module is designed to set learners on a personal and professional development path that will not only assist with their studies, but complement the day job. It’s important to note, learning does not stop once a person goes through a formal learning process; this is just the start. When it comes to self-promotion (e.g. selling yourself), if you were to consider an internal promotion or a new role, what would your success, your uniqueness, look like? You need to be able to measure your success and evidence it. A recent article by the Chartered Management Institute caught my eye and discussed your peak career. Are you on track to reach yours or are you there? In either case, CPD will enhance your future development. So, what does success look like? There is no right or wrong answer to this question and your CPD record will help you too see it and recall it. What type of event or activity can I record? The list is endless, but some ideas are: ● external : formal qualifications; training courses; conference attendance; reading a useful article ● internal : process improvement; internal policy document; development programmes; job rotation; running a project. Both internal and external activities help develop transferable skills. How do I record it? The CIPP provides a membership tool via the CIPP home page. Examples of the information requested and questions are:
Further information relating to CPD logging can be found at this link: www.cipp.org.uk/CPD .
● What is the CPD activity (title) ● Learning objective (e.g. what you wanted to get out of this activity)
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Issue 33 | September 2017
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
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