President’s Notebook
APEGA
Preparation, I thought of the challenges those two words present. It’s interesting to me to look at what we’re doing on the legislative review front — and really on many other fronts in the organization — while hearing various speakers at various events confirm that our approaches are sound. No, the speakers aren’t offering a clear picture of what Alberta will be like 30 years from now (and to be fair, none of them purported to be doing so). But many of them, as it turns out, have a lot to say about planning and preparation. Two specific things come to mind, both of which I alluded to earlier in this column. One is the need to plan for the worst. The other is the role of individual responsibility — the self in self- regulation.
Optimism is important in life. So why prepare for the worst? Why come up with a plan for the most egregious and dramatic events imaginable? Doesn’t that mean you’re just dwelling on the negative? Yes. Please, dwell on the negative. But dwell on it in a positive way. Develop a plan that will get you through the worst of events. It just makes sense for Alberta families, for example, to prepare for tornadoes. Chances are they’ll never have to deal with one. But having a plan in place makes windstorms all the more survivable. There’s a certain confidence that comes from a well-rehearsed and clearly written plan. It allows you to do a thing that successful humans are good at: compartmentalize. Once your plan is in place, you can confidently and optimistically get on with the other things your life demands. In times of crisis, there is only so much that the institutions you’ve come to rely upon can do for you. This is the individual responsibility part. As Members of a self-regulating organization, we need to always remember our own roles. So let me take this opportunity, once again, to encourage you to take part in the consultation process in the legislative review. Here’s another thought. As you plan your own professional future, please take a close look at what you are doing to fulfill APEGA’s mandatory Continuing Professional Development requirements. You have a professional obligation in this area, of course, but there’s practical purpose, too. It’s to your advantage to personalize your program and make it relevant to your career and your practice, now and in the future. Is your program, for example, relevant in an economic climate that features oil selling at under $40 a barrel? And is your program relevant in a world of high public expectations placed upon professionals, regulators, governments, and other organizations? APEGA offers professional development options to help you plan and prepare. Read about the details elsewhere in this PEG .
EVERYDAY LEADERSHIP
Members still bring up my column from the summer 2015 PEG , titled Everyday Leadership — Pass it On. It’s really rewarding to write about something that means so much to me personally and find out that it resonates widely. So I’ll end by thanking our champions collaborative for being everyday leaders in legislative renewal. The skills and knowledge you are developing and practising are building a better APEGA. You’ve engaged your fellow Members in a process critical to the future, and you’ve passed leadership on to others. And since this is the last PEG of 2015, let me wish the best of the new year to Members and readers.
Questions or comments? president@apega.ca
WINTER 2015 PEG | 5
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