What kind of professional are you- really?
Andrew Gibbons- [email protected]
www.andrewgibbons.co.uk
It seems to me that in every professional body there are those who do their best to behave in a
truly professional manner and then there are those who, for a variety of reasons, don’t try as hard
as they could and should. These attitudes can be seen in all areas of professional competence
but for me, they are really spotlighted in attitudes displayed to continuing professional development
(CPD).
Let me start with what I consider to be two totally reasonable assertions. Firstly, that we only
deserve to call ourselves a professional if we make continuous and tangible efforts to maintain
and record developing competence and knowledge. Secondly, Professional Bodies should be
much more than a rest home for passive ‘professionals’ unwilling to do anything to keep
themselves up to date beyond passing exams decades ago. For me, these two totally reasonable
assertions suggest that a lot needs to be done by many Professional Bodies to differentiate, reward
and sanction their members, and critically, to enforce even minimum standards of CPD, as clearly
stated in their own codes of practice.
In addition, personally I would like to see the expulsion of those who feel that the payment of fees
is sufficient to them with provide long term protection from any attempt to enforce those
professional standards. This will not be a popular view but for me engaging with CPD is as
important as maintaining other professional attitudes and should be rewarded and criticised in an
equivalent way.
So here are my thoughts on four broad types of professional member in terms of a desire, or
otherwise to engage positively in CPD…
The Undeserving
This lot are a problem.
Basically they want to be left alone and not asked to do anything other than to pay their fees, which
many begrudge as they feel they don’t get much in return. If only they were even a little more
active and made use of the facilities and services available to them they might feel differently, but
they can’t be bothered.
The biggest problem is that there are so many of them, and if the heat was turned up on them they
would leave in very large and financially painful (to their institute) numbers. A large number of the
undeserving are long term passive members, in senior grades of membership, so they feel secure
and protected from being asked for any proof of activity of professional development.
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