Improving your own performance through Continuing Professional Development (CPD) involves a number of stages, starting with you assessing what you do at work (if you are in work) and thinking about where you want your career to take you.

You should then set defined objectives (targets). If you are at work this is normally done with your employer – very often in an appraisal interview.

These objectives should be ‘SMART’

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Realistic

Timely

You should then work out how you are going to achieve these objectives, assessing the resources you are going to need. The extend of these will depend whether or not you are at work: you may consider tapping into the expertise of your colleagues, training in-house and externally, taking a qualification, obtaining study material in various media.

The final stage in the personal development process is to review and evaluate your progress and to establish new targets and action places. If you are at work, this may be carried out with your employer as part of the regular appraisal process.

All stages in the CPD process should be clearly documented.

	Created by tomfaulkner about 13 years ago

Accounts (Work effectively in accounting and finance) Note on Working effectively in accounting and finance Chapter 6,7, created by tomfaulkner on 18/05/2013.