Not so long ago a person joining a company, particularly a large organisation, could expect a job for life.  The way into a company for a professional was through a period of academic study followed by, or combined with, structured training.  After this the person would generally follow a clearly defined path of progression in his or her chosen field of employment.  Continuing professional development (CPD) was regarded at best as an optional extra to be undertaken according to the needs or wishes of the individual or to meet some short-term requirements of the company.  At worst it was felt not to be important and additional training was given at random. 

It has become a cliché to talk about the rapid changes in technology and business over recent years, but the pace of such changes is indeed breathtaking.  Hand in hand with technological advances has gone the introduction of new organisational models, such as the learning organisation or the centreless corporation.  Management gurus invent new terms for sacking people: downsizing or rightsizing, and even the very concept of an organisation is questioned. 

One of the more recent buzzwords is “networks”.  In a networked world we no longer have long-term loyalty to a single organisation, but carry out different projects with different groups of people.  An individual’s first responsibility is to herself and then to the networks of which she is a member.  This apparent selfishness also has a more benign face, because we cannot survive alone in the new business environment, but only as interdependent members of mutual structures, however fluid.  The “cathedral”, with its clearly defined but restrictive hierarchies, has given way to the “bazaar”, where we operate within a more chaotic yet freer environment (Raymond, 1999).

Networks can, of course, be both real and virtual.  Our interactions with fellow networkers are not limited by geographical boundaries.  This is particularly important to bear in mind as the production of goods and the provision of services are outsourced, and those with whom we work are as likely to be on the other side of the world as in the next office.  Our learning too may be carried out at a distance.  As e-learning provision grows worldwide, students, graduates and mature professionals are increasingly becoming members of virtual learning communities, and the growth of social networking sites shows that virtual communities are by no means restricted to the academic and business worlds.

What is CPD?

Different professions have different ideas about what constitutes CPD, but one definition is: 

The systematic maintenance and improvement of knowledge, skills and competence, and  the enhancement of learning, undertaken by an individual throughout his or her working life. 

The key to CPD is learning, which comes about in different ways.  It can be formal, non-formal or informal.  Formal learning is gained through structured courses run by education or training establishments, such as universities or colleges; usually a certificate, diploma or degree is awarded on successful completion.  Non-formal learning is gained through programmes run by organisations whose prime purpose is not the provision of learning, such as a manufacturing or service company; a certificate may or may not be awarded.  Informal learning is gained in an unstructured way in the course of one’s work or outside it; this is sometimes referred to as incidental learning and is, by its very nature, not usually subject to certification.

Here are some examples of what can be counted as CPD:

• Certified attendance at conferences, seminars, workshops or courses having a formal structure.

• Successful completion of a relevant programme of accredited study.

• Private study, the learning outcomes of which can be demonstrated.

• Attendance at meetings, working groups or panels where a significant personal contribution is made.

• Job development and experience-based learning.

• Assisting in the professional development of others through coaching, mentoring, assessing or counselling.

• The publication of material, including research, relating to one’s profession.

• The preparation and delivery of presentations to colleagues, fellow professionals or the public.

Phases of Learning

We each have our own preferred ways of learning, or learning styles, but when we learn anything we typically pass through four distinct phases:

• Unconscious incompetence.  We don’t know that we don’t know.  We have yet to learn about a subject, such as driving a car or riding a bicycle. 

• Conscious incompetence.  As we begin to learn something, we are acutely aware of our failings and our inability to master the skill we are trying to learn. 

• Conscious competence.  We have begun to master the skill, but still have to maintain our concentration and are still prone to errors. 

• Unconscious competence.  This is where we apply the skill automatically, without the need really to think about it.  The unconscious mind takes control, leaving the conscious mind to think about other things.

As well as being able to identify and measure CPD, both for our own purposes as professionals and in order to demonstrate it to others, we need to plan and record it.  In this context we can usefully ask ourselves five questions: 

1.      Where have I been in relation to my CPD?

2.      Where am I now?

3.      Where do I want and need to be?

4.      How will I get there?

5.      How will I know when I have arrived?

Mentoring and Coaching

The internet is proving to be invaluable in many areas of CPD and lifelong learning.  It is an almost boundless source of information and a key tool for the facilitation of learning from school, through college or university, to the world of work.  Individuals have potentially unlimited access, but from a CPD perspective this has its dangers.  For true learning to take place information needs to be transmuted into knowledge, and knowledge must be combined with skills and competence. 

People are increasingly less willing to be passive recipients of training or instruction, but if they are to be effective professionals they still need guidance.  New forms of guidance are being put in place as old-style hierarchical structures dissolve.  Training and management are increasingly being complemented by coaching and mentoring, which involve dialogue rather than instruction and where the focus is on the individual.

Many professional associations operate mentoring systems for their members.  Younger members are appointed a mentor who offers them advice and guidance on achieving higher professional status within the association.  The mentor can also play a valuable role in helping the mentee maintain a personal and professional development plan.  In short a mentor is a wise and trusted counsellor, is suitably experienced, has usually travelled the mentee’s path, acts as a confidential adviser and guide, and stimulates professional development.

Coaching is a way of helping people clarify their aims and objectives, deal with situations that trouble them, solve problems, and formulate goals for their personal and professional development.  The process can also assist in overcoming negative attitudes, mental blocks and work-related stress, as well as in achieving a better work-life balance.  With support from a qualified coach people learn to see things from different perspectives so that it becomes easier for them to decide upon more effective and beneficial courses of action.

As well as bringing direct benefits to the person being coached, successful coaching improves interpersonal relationships and results in a more harmonious working environment.  Research has shown that organisations providing coaching for their staff, whether on a short-term or long-term basis, are seen as more attractive places to work, achieve greater efficiency, and often increase the return on their investment. 

The coaching relationship involves mutual commitment, trust and respect, encourages freedom of expression, is pragmatic in employing useful models, is process-oriented and avoids “techniques”, and is reciprocal, with both coach and client learning. 

Lifelong Learning

Another old certainty that is being questioned is the division between work and leisure.  Some people feel overwhelmed by their work and in many organisations stress levels are high.  There is much talk about work-life balance, but some people deal with this issue not by defining the boundaries between work and leisure more clearly, but by blurring them, so personal development and professional development become interconnected. 

“In a technologically advanced society where production of sufficient goods and services can be handled with ease, employment exists primarily for self-development, and is only secondarily concerned with the production of goods and services” (Harman and Hormann, 1990).  This connects with the notion that each of us must be responsible for our own lifelong learning, of which CPD is a key part.  As the “job for life” disappears, so may the concept of “role”.  Perhaps it will not be long before we cease to define ourselves in terms of a single job, role or even profession.  As Briskin (1998) points out, “Role is a mental construct that is fluid and constantly changing because the world around us is also dynamic and constantly changing.”

The Future

In the 21^st century CPD is high on the list of priorities among individuals and organisations worldwide, and in many of the presentations I have made in recent years across Europe and beyond participants have been keen to express their views on what the future might hold for learning and development.  Here are some of the radical ideas that have been floated:

• All learning will be lifelong learning and include continuing professional development.  It will be our own individual responsibility, as self-directed learners, but undertaken with help, support and guidance from our coaches, mentors, colleagues and fellow networkers. 

• In the new learning society we will be increasingly interdependent, pursuing our learning and development in all manner of ways, acquiring new skills and knowledge as we need and want them.