by Michael Shaw
In Thank You for Being Late, Thomas Friedman’s research found that, “a primary care physician would need more than 630 hours a month to keep up with the flood of new literature... related to his or her practice.” The volume of new and/or evolving information within many professional fields is vast. If Friedman’s estimates are even incorrect by half, the time required to consume, not to mention digest the vast quantities of information are staggering. Why is it then, so many avoid touching or engaging in the professional pillar of self-development?
While only a personal observation, when the question of what are you doing in the realm of self-development is asked one of three responses are typically heard: 1) I am taking college courses, 2) I attended the previously scheduled/directed Leader Professional Development talk, or 3) I am just too busy. When did professional self-development fall into such predetermined paths? Let’s take a brief look at each of these responses before moving on.
The taking of college courses is no doubt a method of self-development and if applied correctly is very possibly connected to professional self-development. So why then is there more to be said on the topic? The friction with the taking of college courses is two fold, first, the courses are most often connected to a final degree that is believed to be needed for promotion or elevation. Often this leaves very little commitment or connection between the student and the material with the exception of passing the course. Second, because the courses are on ones own time, the degrees selected are not often professionally aligned. Increasing ones education in general is of benefit to any organization and should increase the perspective of that worker when it comes to problem solving or enhancing operational perspective, but when the end state of the course and degree is simply completion then the organization as a whole end up overly educated and yet under developed. College or graduate education is a wonderful achievement both personal and professional, but the simple act of obtaining a degree does not guarantee enhanced application within the existing profession.
Next, the attending of scheduled leader professional development talks sounds like the sort of option that might meet the mark of professional self-development. After all, many professions hold seminars and lectures for which members of the professional body can attend and develop. However, the key to success with this type of professional self-development is the diversity of topics and the dissemination of events across the field for which one can select from a menu of tasks, debates or hands on application sessions. However, it has been my experience that the attending of singular and directed professional development forums is most often limited in scope, rudimentary in material and when directed to attend, eliminates the responsibility and stifles the interest of those in attendance. The success of medical and legal professional forums are that they offer a myriad of topics and throughout the year so that individuals have options from which to choose where and when to spend their time. Perhaps a page from such a playbook might be beneficial.
Finally, I am just too busy reverberates office cubicles. The title of professional is simple enough to say outlaid or to put on a business card but living up to the tenants of a profession are not so simple. Time is a precious commodity, one that can not be created but can be taken. To hear those in my profession speak to a lack of time to conduct self-development rings of misaligned priorities. While not all professions have annual hours or periodic self-development gates for continued certification, should such a requirement be necessary? Perhaps so. If fields such as education, medicine and law all believe that annual hours of continued self-development are essential to keeping their edges sharp, perhaps it is not only the blade they are concerned with but also a realization that people will most often take the path of lease resistance. If there is not a requirement then why spend the time. The old adage holds true, what one spends time inspecting is often what other spend time refining.
There is no simple answer to the topic of professional self-development. However, the subject remains one of the three pillars that form a profession. Besides ones schooling which stops at a given point and organizational education which is ongoing but only is a strong as the organization knowledge held within, self-development is the key to improving existing operations, preparing for future endeavors and ensuring that we prepare ourselves for the next inevitable professional shift.
What are you doing when if comes to self-development?