Professional development (PD) is a form of training useful for career minded folks. Some examples include finding opportunities to learn more about your market or possibly meeting with others in your field to exchange market information. Another example might be to learn or become more proficient in the use of specific computer software. A team manager engages in PD with something as simple as reading a book about team dynamics. Attending a convention or conference is a classic example of professional development.

At many larger companies and organizations the human resources department or a subunit of the human resoureces department is responsible for PD also sometimes called Staff Development. I recently asked a question on LinkedIn about What are HR or Staff Development Professionals Doing To Combat Cabin Fever? One person reported they’re “keeping their heads down.”

Here is a topic I get excited about fairly easy. My firm specializes is getting involved with professional teams and the PD processes. It seems that at this time of year companies invest less in professional development. There are a couple reasons for this slump. Getting a good start on annual and first quarter sales takes priority. Cabin fever is another contributing factor I think; folks just wanna keep their heads down.

One of the biggest pieces of advice I like to give folks when they are seeking new approaches to professional development is to find ways to learn about something of personal interest, not necessarily directly related to professional interests, but making sure learning about that personal interest takes place in a professional setting. The procedural, practical, and rudimentary skills developed when learning about a personal interest transfer back to the work setting even though the substantive content may be less transferable. One drawback to this approach is getting supervisors to agree in allowing time off or providing company funds to pay travel or registration leaving the employee to bear the costs alone. Adopting a strategy that allows or encourages employees to engage in professional development more closely related to personal interests might find it a successful way to combat cabin fever.

My personal best example of this is when I worked as a Residence Hall Director at DePauw University. I wanted to attend a conference related to lgbt issues in higher education. Most of the conferences I looked were focused on student involvement which would have been directly related to my professional role at the university. I wanted a conference that would develop me me as an lgbt educator. Eventually the opportunity to attend GLSEN’s Teach Respect For All Conference turned up. I went to GLSEN’s TRA knowing it was tuned more for kindergarten through twelfth grade educators. My boss, who agreed to let me use university funds to pay for the conference registration and travel, thought the opportunity to network away from higher education folks and to get a slightly different perspective was perfect.

For young professionals (those still in college or even those who are just one or two years out of undergrad) I’m going to put in a plug for the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference (MBLGTACC pronounced /mum’¢ble’¢tech/). This conference, at the University of Illinois February 22 to 24, presents an opportunity that might be of personal interests to Queercents readers, that is not directly related to professional life, but that presents an opportunity to build professional networks and networking skills.

Blogging conferences might also be a good way to engage in professional development that have more personal appeal and a less-obvious professional purpose. BlogHer.com has an annual conference that brings women from a wide variety of professions together in one place all because they have the same personal interest in blogging. It helps that blogging happens to have built a reputation as a business tool.

Take a look at your own profession and you might find a conference related to blogging (a personal interest) but focused on a specific profession or career. I found a blog conference that not only focuses on a specific profession but also on an specific geographic region: Scienceblogging.com. Use the comments below to report any findings.

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