It’s a weird old concept that time seems to fly when we’re having fun and we don’t want it to, yet when we would like the clock to tick down, time seems to drag its feet in excruciating fashion.

As Laura Vanderkam tells us in her engaging TED talk there are 168 hours in a week. If we factor in working a 40-hour week and sleeping for an average of 8 hours a night, that still leaves us with 72 hours a week for other things.

Scratch beneath the surface of what most business owners and senior leaders would like their organisation to achieve and you would be hard-pressed to find an answer that didn’t include the words profit and revenue. Even the most purpose-led of organisations need profit and revenue to succeed in their mission, so this is by no means a criticism, merely an observation.

It would not be the most controversial of statements to claim that most, if not all successful businesses attribute some of their success to strong leadership, albeit many of the best leaders are quick to highlight the contributions of the teams that they lead.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is critical for career progression, mandatory in many professions, and yet finding the time and motivation to do it are major barriers to adoption. But there are ways to make it easier to access and to stay on track.

Let’s start with a little jargon busting before dispelling a few myths about CPD.

In our experience, most people in leadership positions understand the concept of coaching and what it can do for their business but increasingly leaders are recognising the benefit of focusing on their own personal development. They understand that this will enable them to better understand their key drivers and become even more effective in their role. 

If you are a parent, chances are you have experienced having one or two difficult conversations.

If you are in a long-term relationship, you have probably been involved in a difficult conversation. Naturally, you were not the one at fault!