Today, all three All Things IC Communication Consultants are taking part in the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) CPD Kickstart challenge.
As Chartered PR practitioners, we value the importance of Continuing Professional Development (CPD). It’s something we talk about frequently, not only as a team but also with clients and Masterclass attendees.
For us, at All Things IC, CPD isn’t just about logging points or maintaining our CIPR status, but it’s about how we as internal communicators keep updated on the latest challenges and opportunities our profession faces.
Did you know you can earn all 60 CPD points you need to maintain your CIPR CPD accreditation using the free resources available from All Things IC?
With over 1700 blog articles and four seasons of the Candid Comms podcast, all these can be logged, including the five points for ethics that is required. We have 54 items already in the CIPR CPD database for you to log! Just search ‘All Things IC’ in the provider box.
Tip: Listen to the popular How to be an ethical internal communicator Candid Comms podcast episode. Search ‘All Things IC’ in the provider field on the CPD to log this episode.
If you’re a CIPR member, sign-up for the challenge starting on Monday 28 November 2022. If you aren’t a member of a professional body you can still get involved. We’d love to see your photos of any All Things IC resources you’ve discovered throughout the week, so feel free to tag us @AllThingsICNews on Twitter or find us on LinkedIn.
Rachel Miller, Founder of All Things IC says: “I’m proud to see so many of our resources listed in the CIPR database. There are hundreds of articles on our website to support and advise internal communicators. These are available for anyone to access today and if you’re a CIPR member, you’ll be rewarded with CPD points too. Thank you to all the guest writers over the past 13 years who have contributed their views and stories.”
Here are our thoughts on the importance of CPD and some tips to help.
Q) Why is CPD important to you?
Caroline Cubbon-King – I think it’s vital as a comms practitioner and consultant I’m constantly open to learning and absorbing new ideas. I don’t view learning as a chore, but more something I incorporate into my day-to-day life. I listen to Podcasts when I’m cleaning, driving or walking and consider it a treat to settle down for half an hour to enjoy a cuppa as I read about or research a topic.
Dan Holden – I’m a fan of learning and love hearing from other peers about their experiences, whether it’s activities that have worked well or perhaps not so well. It can be very easy to fall into the trap of ‘it’s the way I’ve always done it’ so CPD allows me to think about those areas where my knowledge isn’t as strong and to look up at what’s happening in the profession around me.
Rachel Miller – Investing in my own continuing professional development allows me to serve and guide All Things IC’s clients and my team in the best possible way. The fundamental principles of good, effective internal communication remain unchanged. However, I value CPD to help us constantly rediscover the joy of learning and discover how to apply new ideas and research to comms conundrums.
Q) What tips do you have for anyone maintaining their CPD?
Caroline – Having lots of variety in how I learn and accessing knowledge in small chunks works best for my life and learning style. I rarely spend any money on CPD. There are so many free and low cost opportunities out there if you look for them. Don’t restrict yourself to approved activities as these are being updated all the time. Asking other people like you for learning recommendations also works well. I know teams who share inspiration of the week and incorporate learning discussions into team meetings. Find a way to learn that works for you and enjoy it.
Dan – View CPD as a continual journey, allowing you to create new chapters as your knowledge and learning change. My CPD plan is a simple Word document that I continually tweak, sometimes taking things off and other times adding to it. This has given me more freedom to explore the things more relevant to me but still give value to my time. I also enjoy being part of online community groups as the discussions and knowledge sharing are invaluable and I’ve discovered many a good article or resource from others.
Rachel – It’s really easy to forget what you have done! I recommend logging in frequently and updating your CPD record as you go. Don’t feel restricted by the points in CPD systems, if you’ve discovered a real flair for a topic or something has piqued your interest, read beyond what’s expected. Keep an eye on your role objectives and use them to spot gaps and areas you want to increase your skills and knowledge in. The CIPR database is huge, I love stumbling across new ideas and people as a result of searching against the topics I’m interested in.
Best of luck with your CPD challenge. Don’t forget to tag us if All Things IC’s resources are helping you along the way.
Would you like to improve your internal communication skills?
We have a range of training opportunities, in-person Monthly Masterclass, remote sessions and Online Masterclasses, to suit internal communicators at all stages of your career.
Here are some of our 2023 in-person Monthly Masterclass dates and if you can’t join us at the All Things IC Hub, do check out our Online Masterclasses.
- NEW 25 Jan 2023: Measurement Masterclass with Dan
- 7 Feb 2023: Effective Internal Communication with Dan
- 8 Feb 2023: Comms Director Mastermind with Rachel
- 22 Feb 2023: Strategic Internal Communication with Rachel
- 8 Mar 2023: Change Communication with Dan
- NEW 26 Apr 2023: Channels Masterclass with Dan
- 14 June 2023: Comms Director Mastermind with Rachel
- 28 June 2023: Effective Internal Communication with Dan
- NEW 12 July 2023: How to audit your internal communication.
If you’re not sure which is the right option for you, send us a message and we’ll be happy to help.
Post author: Dan Holden
First published on the All Things IC blog 28 November 2022.
