1. Careers
your questions answered
❱❱ I carry out continuing professional development,
but how can I develop myself more personally?
Personal development has a greater self-assessment, but typical areas you people on
scope than continuing professional might choose to work on are issues the move
development, covered in April QW, such as:
because it involves everything that • Reliability – do you over-promise ❱❱ Graham talbot
you do as an individual. It is some- and under-deliver on tasks? Graham Talbot, UKAS technical and
times summarised as “becoming the • Team working – do you support external affairs manager, has been
person that you really want to colleagues in their work or are you elected chair of the European Co-
be”. single-minded in achieving individu- operation for Accreditation. Graham
To effectively do this al objectives rather than team goals? is also a member of the International
you first need to take • Communication – how well do you Accreditation Forum’s Executive
stock of where pass information to others and how Committee.
you are person- good are you at picking up verbal
ally and decide and non-verbal communication? ❱❱ Sharon JohnSon
what is needed • Planning – are you often surprised Catalent Pharma Solutions has ap-
to bridge the by events and then think that you pointed Sharon Johnson as its new
gap to the could have anticipated things? senior vice-president of quality and
“ideal” you. Wherever you identify an area to im- regulatory affairs. Sharon is a quality
This involves an prove, you need to consider next how professional with more than 25 years’
honest assess- to go about improving. Areas that can of experience in pharmaceuticals.
ment of strengths be considered are:
and weaknesses, • Time management – we need pe- ❱❱ li ShironG
particularly in areas riodically to establish our priorities Professor Li Shirong has become the
such as: and manage the time available to first woman to head the Chartered
• Dealing with people deliver the desired result Institute of Building. She believes the
• Personal ethics • Assertiveness – it is often easier to “new revolution” of the construction
• Personal competencies say “yes” when we want to say “no”, industry is sustainability and strong
As well as taking the opportunity but these additional bits of work international communication. She
to ask those whose judgement and often prevent us from doing what is plans to help the UK construction
honesty you trust, you can look back important industry recover from the recession.
over your own performance in recent • Communication – we can all im-
months. Ask how many of your objec- prove at this and spend time testing ❱❱ mary Chapman
tives you have met and how well you how well we communicate in the The Institute of Customer Service
have worked with others in meeting various media we use, considering has appointed the former chief
these objectives, including the bal- both giving and receiving executive of the Chartered Manage-
ance between how you are perform- Whatever you decide to do in order ment Institute, Mary Chapman, as
ing both at work and at home. There to develop yourself, there are always its chairman. Mary holds several
is no point in hiding faults or failings learning techniques or methods that appointments as a non-executive
at this stage – this is your personal as- can help you gain an understanding of director, including commissioner
sessment, after all. your own competencies, help you im- to the board of the National Lottery
The next stage obviously depends prove your personal and professional Committee.
on what you discover during your life and grow as a person.
❱❱ walt havenStein
Walt Havenstein has stepped down
as director and CEO of BAE Systems
plc and president and CEO of BAE
please email your useful links Systems Inc. General Anthony Zinni
career questions www.personal-development. will be acting president and CEO of
and job moves to info BAE Systems Inc until a permanent
editorial@thecqi.org www.cipd.co.uk successor is appointed.
56 | AUGUST 2009 | qw www.thecqi.org
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