CIPR Ethics Training6

My CIPR CPD (continuous professional development) goals for 2015

By Stuart BrucePosted on
Time to Read:-words

CIPR CPD logoToday is the first day of the new recording cycle for Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) continuous professional development (CPD) points

Earlier this year I recorded my points in much the same way as I’ve done in previous years. A last minute look through the list on the CIPR websites to see what I’d done that I could get points for. I detailed my experience here and was delighted that my blog post encouraged several other CIPR members to record their CPD points as well.

This year I’ve resolved to do it differently and am going to try and plan out in advance what I need to learn so that it’s genuine continuous professional development. But as an independent practitioner it’s harder than being in a company. No 360 degree review meetings for me.

That’s why I need you help. I’ve identified some areas where I know I can improve, but it’s not enough for my 60 points. So what do you my friends, colleagues and just readers who I don’t yet know think I need to learn. The criteria is that I already accept that everything I am good at I can be even better at. I want to choose the things that:

  • I’m less accomplished at
  • I’m less confident at (more on that later)
  • Are becoming more important and prominent for the public relations business
  • Will contribute not just to my personal development, but the development of the PR profession
  • Are free or very cheap to do, because as an independent I can’t share training costs by cascading knowledge to my team

My CIPR CPD targets for 2015

What do I need to know?  How can I learn?  Who can help?
I already have a good understanding of how to use paid media strategically and tactically, but don’t know enough about the practical nuts and bolts of actually setting up and running paid Facebook, Twitter, Google/Bing search and LinkedIn adverts.
  • Independent online guides.
  • Help pages of the relevant sites.
  • Speaking to friends and colleagues who physically set-up campaigns (as opposed to just planning them)
  • Speaking to sales reps of relevant companies.
  • Free webinars
  • Experimenting with paid media to promote my own business.
  • Experimenting with paid media locally for my wife Karen Bruce who is a local councillor.
  • You?
Refresh and improve my understanding of coding. I’ve long been able to edit basic HTML (that’s how I created this table) and can play with PHP to tweak WordPress, but I need to know more.
  • Define precisely what I mean by ‘coding’. What is it I want to be able to do and why?
  • Independent online guides
  • Sign-up to a free online training course?
  • Tim Bailey
  • You?
Improve my training skills. Last year via my work as a CIPR trainer I did an excellent CIPD ‘Train the Trainer’ course which improved the way I run my PR training courses.
  • Another CIPD course via the CIPR.
  • Lecturing and teaching training via Leeds Beckett University.
  • Free online training for trainers resources and guides.
  •  CIPR
  • Leeds Beckett University
  • You?
Improve my knowledge of Google Analytics from good to a ‘lot better’!
  • Re-read the CIPR Google Analytics guide to make sure I haven’t missed anything!
  • Independent online guides.
  • Experiment with GA using websites I manage.
  • Attend the CIPR Google Analytics course?
  • Andrew Smith
  • CIPR
  • You?
Improve my public speaking skills. I speak at a lot of conferences and get very positive feedback, but I also often hear speakers who ‘blow me away’ with their presentation style. I’m always most confident during difficult Q&A sessions, so I want to be a better speaker when just presenting.
  • Re-read ‘Lend Me Your Ears’ by Professor Max Atkinson
  • Attend a training course with with the CIPR, International School of Communication (ISOC) or Leeds Beckett University
  • Explore what the Professional Speaking Association has to offer
  • CIPR
  • ISOC
  • Leeds Beckett University
  • PSA
  • You?
Ethics is a new compulsory module where you must log at least 5 points. Given the international nature of my work the best way I can record points here is to contribute to the development of ethical best practice for the PR profession globally.
  • Already participated in global communications ethic debate as moderator of World Communication Forum in Davos
  • Contribute to the World Communication Forum Association’s work in developing its own code of conduct
  • World Communication Forum Association
  • Gianni Catalfamo, WCFDavos co-chair and lead on the Global Communications Agenda
  • Professor Anne Gregory, chair of Global Alliance
  • Sarah Pinch, CIPR president
  • Eva Maclaine, chair of CIPR International
  • You?
Learn how to use Zapier and IFTTT to automate certain PR related tasks. I’ve already experimented and done this, but know I can do so much more.
  • Online guides on Zapier and IFTTT
  • Philippe Borremans, a fellow traveller on the modernised public relations road
  • You? Are you in PR and a tiny bit geeky?
Use video more often and improve my own video shooting and editing skills
  • Independent online guides
  • A book on using Instragram video?
  • A book on video editing?
  • CIPR course?
  • Local FE evening class courses?
  • ?
  • You?
Write my book!
  • Re-fresh my 12 month old synopsis and submit it to publisher(s)
  • Get advice from friends who are already authors as to which publishers are the best to approach and how
  • Get synopsis accepted
  • Buckle down and write it
  • Lots of people I need to interview!
  • Friends and colleagues who have already written excellent books incl Stephen Waddington, Andy Green, Rob Brown, Anne Gregory, Paul Willis, Jed Hallam, Iain Dale, Philip Sheldrake, Robert Phillips, Richard Bailey, Philip Young, Peter Shankman and others who I’ve undoubtedly forgotten!
  • You?
My crowd-sourced skill. What do you think I need to learn? Can you point me in the right direction to learn?
  • You tell me!
  • Can you help?

I’ve deliberately left off the list above all of the things that I already do that are eligible for points as I want to test myself and see if I can get 60 points without using any of these:

  • Committee participation – 20 points for more than 14 hours activity so I could get 20 for CIPR council and 20 for CIPR social media panel
  • Networking – 5 points for each formal networking event (up to a maximum of 20)
  • Judging awards – as a jury member of several awards I could potentially get 10 points for each jury – SOME Social Media awards, C4F Davos World Communication Forum awards, PRAVDA and KIAF awards in Ukraine.
  • Volunteering – professionally related community voluntary work up to 20 points for minimum of 14 hours
  • Delivering training – in addition to my paid work as a PR trainer and lecturer I also occasionally give guest lectures at other universities and provide training for voluntary groups which is eligible for 10 points per session

To do this I really need your help so let me know in the comments, via Twitter or Facebook what resources I should be using to learn, if you can help in any way and what have I missed. What should be my additional learning goal?

Also published on LinkedIn Pulse where you can also comment.

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