A thirty point learning diagnostic

 Andrew Gibbons

When working on CPD I encourage seeing learning as a skill that can be worked upon

Read these statements carefully, and select with a tick those that you need to work on.

 1.    I see my own learning and development as a priority despite all other pressures. 

2.    I consciously manage my development in a planned way. 

3.    I am aware of my priority development needs, and I am working on these. 

4.    I do not over-rely on structured, formal ‘training’ for my development. 

5.    I see seeking feedback and advice as essential elements of my development. 

6.    I have one or more mentors who have helped my development over the long term. 

7.    I regularly find sufficient time to reflect thoroughly on my learning and development.

8.    I am an active learner I don’t wait for development opportunities I go looking for them. 

9.    I observe others critically, and consciously seek to learn from them. 

10. I find time amidst everything else, to record my learning so this is not lost. 

11. I know what specifically I can do better in critical areas of my life than, one year ago. 

12. I make real, and positive efforts to keep in touch with people from whom I can learn. 

13. I genuinely enjoy working on my development, finding this a challenge not a chore. 

14. I read selectively and often enough to keep up to date, noting my learning to retain this.

15. I can make connections and draw value from apparently unrelated learning experiences. 

16. I recognise the barriers to my development, and don’t let them become a problem. 

17. A clear, yet flexible plan guides my future development in the short and longer term. 

18. I am assertive and adventurous as a learner, and make new contacts of value.  

19. I am realistic, and don’t expect instant results in terms of my development. 

20. I don’t expect others to show more interest in my development than I do. 

21. I feel genuinely that I manage my own learning and development. 

22. I know there is at least as much to learn from what goes wrong as from successes. 

23. I put effort into putting what I learn into practice, persisting when I hit problems. 

24. I welcome challenges to my beliefs and views as a way to test and clarify them. 

25. I am keen to learn in various ways, not only using my preferred styles or habits. 

26. I can attribute the sources and experiences that contribute to my development. 

27. I accept that however good I get at anything, I still have a lot to learn and can get better. 

28. I don't let seniority or progression diminish my will to learn and improve. 

29. I know that in order to develop I have to take risks, and meaning mistakes are likely. 

30. I recognise that much of what I have learned needs updating, and has a ‘shelf life’.

I hope this helps...

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