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This is the first question that anyone asks when considering delivering a new CPD session, followed by:
Can I deliver true value?
Will people be interested in what I have to say?
You then may have practicality concerns such as:
Do I have the time?
Is it worth it?
Before you know it, you’ve talked yourself out of delivering a CPD altogether.
Establishing the right topic is the first step in achieving a meaningful, educational CPD.
This post aims to provide some useful tips on how you can decide on an appropriate topic, and hopefully, steer your thoughts of negativity into something that you and your team will benefit from.
Read on!
RIBA CPD Core Curriculum Topics
You could start by looking at the core Curriculum topics highlighted by architectural institutes, such as RIBA.
This list, taken from the RIBA website, outlines the ten mandatory RIBA CPD Core Curriculum topics, in response to the skills their members need to practice architecture now and in the future. They are:
- Architecture for social purpose
- Health, safety and wellbeing
- Business, clients and services
- Legal, regulatory and statutory compliance
- Procurement and contracts
- Sustainable architecture
- Inclusive environments
- Places, planning and communities
- Building conservation and heritage
- Design, construction and technology
With such variety, you can quite easily steer your aims and objectives to meet one of these core Curriculum topics.
Other institutions, such as The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) don’t explicitly outline core Curriculum topics, but they do highlight the importance of gaining relevant, up-to-date knowledge.
Should I Talk About My Product In My CPD?
CPDs are a great way to share your knowledge and expertise on an industry-specific topic. This may involve you referencing a key product that could help solve common problems/issues that your audience faces.
When talking about your building product or solution within your CPD, however, you should avoid turning it into a sales pitch. By doing so, you’re discrediting your entire seminar.
Remember, professionals who attend CPDs aren’t there to be sold to; they’re main aims are to improve their professional practice.
How Do I Talk About My Building Product Objectively?
It’s crucial that you highlight a range of solutions available in the market and present a balanced overview. Yes, your product may be incorporated into these solutions, but you shouldn’t be overly biased towards it.
Being objective means highlighting pros and cons of a range of solutions to common problems. It also means being transparent, too. Highlight what your product can’t do, as well as its benefits.
Sharing case studies towards the end of your CPD is an effective way to give context to your product/solution, without being pushy and biased.
Include Statistics and Key Documentation
Whatever topic you decide upon, always aim to include any industry-specific regulations to demonstrate how your audience can remain compliant whilst delivering successful outcomes.
The same is true for statistics. Sourcing relevant and thought-provoking stats is a great way to emphasise your learning objective further.
So, when drafting your CPD plan, leave room to talk about Government Guidance.
Conclusion
Once you’ve established your topic, aims and objectives, you’re ready to start drafting out your CPD session.
Ensuring you have a clear plan for execution will be key to getting the most out of your endeavours.
Feel free to check out our CPD creation service. Once you’ve agreed upon your goals and objectives, why not get Insynth to help you out with the heavy lifting? Our packages include scriptwriting, video conversion, voiceovers, online submission and much more. So, get in touch today to discuss your options further.
About Insynth
As the only HubSpot certified agency to major on construction marketing, we bring together construction marketing strategy, digital strategy, website design, SEO, content marketing, email marketing, sales automation, marketing automation and HubSpot CRM implementation to produce successful campaigns and great results for our clients.