Catherine Rutland shares why personal development and understanding is equally as important as growing professionally.
Professional development is something we are very aware of. Interestingly, I seem to have had quite a few conversations recently about how we develop and what for. There can be a big focus on clinical subjects, yet we often forget the other skills that go around that.
The wider learning around communication, business skills and staff management, in my view, is equally important. You don’t have to be a practice owner to need that wider skill set.
Expanding your skill set
The development of your wider understanding will always give you a broader view of your working life and benefit the team you work with.
And what about working on things that interest us outside of our immediate professional realm? Over the years, I’ve always found that understanding myself better and working on my development always teaches me something that benefits my professional career, even if on the face of it, the subject matter is different.
I enjoy listening to podcasts, and now that we’re out and about again, they’re a great way for me to feel that a long journey isn’t a waste of time! When you listen, either to people in our profession or outside of it, common themes come through.
The acceptance that development is continual, you will make mistakes along the way, have to relearn and then see where you need to develop further!
Doing that clinically is in some ways a forced learning. If a patient walks through the door with failed work you’ve done, you’ll naturally work to fix it.
In other areas, it takes active thought and determination to address the issue, especially if it’s about you personally rather than a process. Just like clinical learning, finding what style suits you best and what techniques are easier than others is so important.
Development is always going to be personal, and we need to find what suits us to enjoy the process.
Developing outside of the clinical sphere is a rewarding and important part of our professional development. Don’t underestimate the power of what it can do for you, your team, and your patients.
Catch up with previous core strength columns:
- Being honest and open
- Step out of your comfort zone
- The ethical challenges with dental tourism
- Planes, trains and automobiles
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