Marketing Are you ready to raise your game? asks Richard Houdmont, director for Ireland, The Chartered Institute of Marketing
erhaps Iʼm just becoming a ʻgrumpy old manʼ but frankly Iʼm already fed up of the Olympics and it hasnʼt even started yet. Obviously itʼs good news for those businesses in Northern Ireland who have won contracts. Weʼre also told that there will be a legacy in terms of increased participation in sport, which of course is a good thing. It goes without saying that to get to the Olympics you have to be at the top of your game. Of course the athletes have natural ability, but having recognised that ability, do they rest on their laurels?
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No, so why do so many businesses think that they donʼt have to keep training to maintain their position at the top of their game? If you wanted to pick an athlete youʼd probably want to know what races they had won. In business we greatly value experience, but qualifications are a handy indicator that someone has put in the training and won the race.
Do athletes just train for a race, or do they constantly keep in shape? Isnʼt it the same for those of us in business? Can we afford not to keep in shape, unready for the next race? Iʼve heard some bemoan the fact that they have invested in training a key member of staff, only for them to leave shortly after for a higher‑ paid job. Disaster. But just imagine you failed to invest in training your key member of staff and…oh no!
...they stayed! Bigger disaster. Would you use a doctor who wasnʼt keeping up to date? Would you be happy to visit a physiotherapist who didnʼt have qualifications? So why are we often willing to risk our
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business by employing staff and external consultants who may have qualified years ago but have not shown any commitment to ʻkeeping fitʼ? It doesnʼt have to be expensive to keep up to date.
Keeping fit is a matter for the individual and individual employees should take responsibility for their own development. Thatʼs why professional bodies such as The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) see continuing professional development as a key element of membership and career development. Roughly half our members in Northern Ireland are registered on our Chartered CPD Programme which helps them develop their skills. With the Instituteʼs current CPD year entering its month, now is a good time to ensure that you reach the annual 35 hour requirement. Our members have until 31 July 2012 to submit their hours for July 2011 to June 2012.
Continuing professional development can take many forms, and can be entirely free but can help your staff to help your company grow. CIM members have access to free webinars on topics of real relevance to business today.
They also have online access to thousands of journals and magazines. “If only I had time to read them” I hear you say. Fortunately CIM members can receive “Cutting Edge”, a summary of interesting articles classified by sector so you can hone in on what is of importance to you and your business. You can maintain your position amongst the elite of the marketing profession and get the
recognition you deserve by becoming a Chartered Marketer. CIM is the only body which can award Chartered Marketer status which is the sign of a qualified marketer who has shown commitment to keeping up‑to‑date by completing at least two years consecutive CPD of at least 35 hours per annum. Having done their two years they cannot take a rest from CPD or else theyʼll lose their Chartered status. Chartered Marketers have to continue 35 hours CPD per annum as long as they wish to retain Chartered status. We cannot promise that a Chartered Marketer will bring home the gold medal on every occasion, but you can improve the odds.
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