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Developing Professional Practice Essay

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Developing Professional Practice

1. Professionalism
The Oxford English Dictionary states the following meanings of the word ‘professional’:
1. ‘a person engaged or qualified in a profession’
2. ‘a person competent or skilled in a particular activity’
In other words, an HR professional needs to have the necessary ability, knowledge and skills in the field of people management. However, that is not enough. One also has to be able to apply them in a consistent manner, i.e. one has to be professional at all times, at the same, high, level. This means that it is important for a professional to continue to develop his/her competence, taking into consideration the continuously changing environment and demands.

The CIPD has …show more content…

The ‘Thinking Performer’ also challenges what (s)he sees/does and thinks for him/her-self instead of blindly following orders. The situation may have changed which affects the usual way things are being done or why they are needed. (S)he looks beyond the results to why they are required and tries to make a positive difference to the organisation. Every organisation is a living organism and the HR professional should be a (pro)-active member rather than a follower. In the HR Professional Map this is represented by required behaviour such as ‘curious’, ‘courage to challenge’ and ‘personally credible’.

At the same time, and maybe even more importantly, the ‘Thinking Performer’ is also committed to self-development and has an intrinsic desire to grow. Not just for him/her-self, but also because (s)he recognises that the environment around the organisation and the organisation itself changes continuously, which poses different demands on the HR professional. In order to remain relevant as a professional and to continue to add true value to the organisation (s)he will have to identify what new skills and knowledge are needed and how to acquire those.

With the ever increasing pace of change in the world, today’s market leader can be out of business tomorrow if the organisation fails to adapt to the changes around it. One of the key assets of each organisation is its human capital, i.e. the knowledge, skills and abilities of its staff. If the organisation is to adapt,

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