Before we embark upon the reasoning behind personal and professional development and which one is preferable, or whether indeed both are necessary, let us consider why these measures are needed and the benefits they bring to an employer. After all, employers will not gift training and the expenses this incurs without good reason and clear benefit to the company. So, it is clear that most employers see the benefit of developing their staff, and there are many good reasons for doing this;
1) Avoiding burnout in your staff
2) Keeping staff up to date on the current professional climate
3) Ensuring your company is at the forefront of the quality scale for the industry
4) Allowing you to progress staff internally rather than having to recruit for new skills
5) Ensuring you retain staff who provide value to the company
So, with this in mind, which is better? Should you develop yourself or let your company do it for you? Maybe there is a balance to be struck, or maybe it is in fact the same thing. The first point it is worth considering is your salary. Whilst your employability may increase through staff training, your take home pay may not in fact change. When employers offer CPD they are thinking of two things, firstly the benefit of the training to the company and secondly the value you will bring to the company once the training is completed. If they can gain this value without paying extra, they will, and will legitimately argue that they have invested in you already without raising your salary. By training yourself, you incur the initial costs, but it puts you in a strong negotiating position regarding future pay rises.
There are two other things to consider with this, in the first instance there is the possibility of an employer paying half your training costs or contributing in other ways such as time off to attend classes. This will make the training cheaper and easier for you whilst giving you some control over the training you get. Of course, the employer will need to be presented with a strong case for why this training will benefit them as well as yourself. The second point is that in the current job market, it is somewhat expected that you will move between positions and jobs every 3-5 years, this means that as long as you have the foresight to plan where your next move is likely to be, it is possible to use staff training and CPD to further your career whilst incurring no costs. Paradoxically, the training that often brings pay rises is exactly the kind of training that employers rarely give due to the costs. It is usually level 5 (degree level) or above that employers will increase salaries for having.
There are many ways in which professional development can be viewed as the same as personal development.
1) Being professionally up to date makes you far more employable if you ever need or choose to change jobs
2) Participating in training shows dedication and engagement to your employer and future employers
3) By developing yourself you make it harder for an employer to replace you to cut costs or for other reasons
4) You are constantly broadening your horizons and increasing your net worth as an employee
So is personal or professional development better? It seems so far that the lines are somewhat blurred, there are benefits to both and careful planning is needed by the individual to gain the best they can from the situation. There are just a few more things to consider within this area of discussion.
1) The ability to collaborate through CPD and the impact of this in a wider setting, below are some key points from an educational study by Philippa Cordingley, Miranda Bell, Barbara Rundell and Donald Evans:
The review found that collaborative CPD was linked with improvements in both teaching and learning and many of these were substantial.
The positive outcomes for teachers reported in the studies included:
• greater confidence amongst the teachers, for example, in taking risks.
• enhanced beliefs amongst teachers in their power to make a difference to their pupils’ learning.
• the development of enthusiasm for collaborative working, notwithstanding initial anxieties about being observed and receiving feedback.
• a greater commitment to changing practice and willingness to try new things, and enhanced knowledge and practice.
The positive outcomes for students were focused either on measured improvement in student performance and/or on:
• demonstrable enhancement of student motivation to learn.
• improvements in performance such as improved test results, greater ability in decoding, enhanced reading fluency.
• more positive responses to specific subjects.
• better organisation of work.
• use of collaboration as a learning strategy.
• increased sophistication in response to questions; and the development of a wider range of learning activities in class and strategies for students
The wider impact of CPD is clearly demonstrated in this case study, it shows the benefits of professional development for the industry not just the individual.
2) The use of CPD as a tool for self-reflection, growth and adding to a personal skill set can be achieved without any additional costs incurred by any party. It is always worth thinking when any opportunity arises ‘what can I gain from this for my skill set?’. There are always opportunities to grow and learn and these should not be underestimated; if you are in a job that offers little in the way of formal CPD but you find yourself stimulated, engaged and learning all the time, do not be too hasty to drop it all in favour of formal learning, there are many things you can learn from inspirational colleagues or industry best practise without the formal training attached.
Ultimately the way you approach you CPD, whether it is personal, professional or both, is more important than what you call it. If you engage with everything you can in an open way and are willing to learn from people and follow best practise and innovation, then you will be developing both yourself and your company. If Continuous Professional Development is done well in your institution, then it will become Continuous Personal Development as well, and the combination will see you grow exponentially.
The key to all of this is yourself, every day as you finish work, ask yourself one simple question;
Shevek Pring 