Too Busy for a Professional Development Commitment?

Have you made a professional development commitment? How many of us have attended an inspiring workshop or training seminar, only to find ourselves slowly reverting to old habits?  It happens all the time, the question is – WHY?  The answer? We often fail to practice and/or commit ourselves to implement the things we’ve learned. Author of this week’s story, Emily Bass, knows something about making a professional development commitment. As one of the world’s first Advanced Certified Practitioners, Emily is among an elite class of business consultants that leverage professional behavioral and cognitive assessments to inform their coaching. In this week’s story, Emily outlines the importance of professional development, highlights the use of validated professional assessments and the four subsequent steps to become a world-class leader.

Too Busy for a Professional Development Commitment?

by Emily Bass, A.C.P.

When it comes to implementing what you would learn from a professional development commitment, are you too busy to, or are you too busy not to?
Often, when coaching, one hears the following-
Client: I learned so much at the [workshop] and even had success when I applied what I learned – but it only works when I have the time to practice.
Coach: What is the success you had?
Client: I empowered others and… I saved time!
After investing time and money to learn new things, embrace that momentum; gain the value by following through.
Common reasons people have for not following through with their professional development commitment:

• It’s on my list but I got pulled in so many directions this week
• I was going to get to it this week, then staff required all my attention
• We had a customer complaint that became my top priority
• And my all time favorite: Blah, blah, blah…I just don’t have time

When coaching athletes who want to become world-class skiers, my mantra is “every turn, every time, in every situation.” This means practice the new movement every turn, every time, in every situation.
The practice is the same when learning behavior based change. Practice the adaptation in every thought process, in every conversation, and in every situation.
Assessment-based professional development has brought learning the soft skills of leadership to a new level. Companies are making use of assessments for:

• Improving communication
• Building new leaders
• Creating powerful teams
• Hiring procedures
• Changing company culture
• Optimizing sales

Invest in yourself! Actualize your investment and realize a lifetime of positive outcomes by following through with your efforts to develop professionally.
Four steps toward becoming a world-class leader:

1. Take a professional development assessment – 20 minutes
2. Commit to an accountability partner (e.g. coach) – 1 hour weekly
3. Strategically place reminders to practice throughout the day – 5 minutes to create
4. Actual practice – seconds added on to each interaction

Time saved and success added – unlimited and priceless!

Advanced Certified Practitioner, Emily Bass coaches leaders to build organizations where everyone knows they matter. You can learn more about Emily and her upcoming Adventure Leadership Summits, Essential Skills Workshop, and coaching packages at www.EmilyBassStrategies.com.