At the beginning of the year we launched our annual project management benchmark report, part of the report looked at Continuing Professional Development or CPD for short
CPD is held up as a cornerstone of professional commitment by many professional bodies and much has been written on this subject. The APM members who responded to our survey were asked if “CPD is engrained in their professional life?” Happily we can report that 44% of respondents said Yes. On the downside, 21% gave a positive No, a further 11% admitted that it is too difficult to balance with their other commitments and finally a worrying 19% do not know what CPD is!
Some respondants stated that, ” Continous development is the key to being a professional project manager” but the 
issue for many seems to be lack of time, “In busy project roles it is very difficult to attend training courses“. Of course training courses are a form of CPD, a more formal version but there are other avenues to explore that are a more informal approach to CPD and when undertaken pay dividends.
So we all agree that CPD is important, but how can you ensure that you are not missing out due to time constraints? Here are just a few suggestions that can be added into an already busy day:
- New skills whilst on the job – coaching and mentoring is something which many people overlook. Approaching a colleague or peer to request a mentoring relationship especially if they have a particular skill that you’d like to develop is a relatively easy way to incorporate CPD into your working life. On the flip side, if you see yourself as good mentoring or coaching material there is also alot to be gained by entering into such an arrangement too, when was the last time you utilised coaching skills in your everyday life? This is an option for one such respondent who said “With 16 years experience, why should I bother with CPD“
- Go beyond just reading the trade magazines and press, consider writing a letter in response to recent interesting articles; think about how you can contribute articles to future editions; become a little more immersed in the project management community that exists in the UK
- Set aside one evening every couple of months and attend a local chapter or networking event. There are a whole host of project management events held locally to you that you can tap into. Many take the form of a presentation, debate and networking time over a drink (and the odd sandwich thrown in) and you’re guaranteed to walk away with something you didn’t know before. Many organisations encourage their employees to get involved in professional groups like this so it’s certainly something that should be taken advantage of.
- When was the last time you read a book in relation to project management? For one week, lunchtime could be your CPD time, find a quiet corner of the canteen and set yourself a target of a couple of chapters. You’ll also be surprised just how many conversation openers that will produce as others drop by to see what you’re ready. Book readng and networking in your own organisation couldn’t be easier!
CPD doesn’t have to be a formal recognised process like taking a PRINCE2 course or gearing up to a further education degree. It doesn’t have to be recognised by a professional body and no one is keeping count, the only person you’re cheating is yourself.
If finding time to better yourself is frowed upon by employers, think about how you build your case; many of these CPD options don’t incur any significant cost, the learnings are then incorporated back into your role, project delivery benefits from increased skill, the bottom line is affected by successful delivery etc etc
Image © SAS 2009 Oxford and used with permission.
