What is CPLP, Anyway?

If you’re in the training and development field like me, you have probably heard about our new certification - Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP). This credential designates the earner as having not only knowledge of various human performance and development topics but also the ability to apply that knowledge. A difference between our certification and the PHR/SPHR of our HR colleagues is that once we pass the exam, we are only halfway there. We must go on to submit a work product - more on that later.

 The certification covers nine “areas of expertise” (AOEs):

1. Designing Learning
2. Delivering Training
3. Improving Human Performance
4. Measuring and Evaluating
5. Facilitating Organizational Change
6. Managing the Learning Function
7. Coaching
8. Managing Organizational Knowledge
9. Career Planning and Talent Management

To prepare for the certification, you can purchase the ASTD Learning System, which is a collection of reference books covering each of the AOEs. I used the kit during my own preparation and created flashcards, one for each learning objective. (I ended up with several hundred of them!) Since then, ASTD “stole”<grin> my idea and now markets its own set of flashcards. If I had to do it again, most likely I would purchase the flashcards and then use the internet to research the topics.

I did find the online practice exam very valuable and would recommend it to every candidate. You can order it through the ASTD Certification Institute site.

There are so many more resources available now then when I was preparing. If you respond well to working and studying with others, you can join a study group. The ASTD-Cascadia chapter is piloting a group for the upcoming May-June exam window.

A group called Owl’s Ledge has a website full of resources - most require membership (for a monthly fee) but several are free. I especially like their puzzles!

I think the most important piece of advice I can offer is to set a study schedule and allow plenty of time. I took my test in October and began my preparation in July, creating a schedule that allowed about one week per AOE plus some review time. I knew if I didn’t set some structure around my studying the time would fly by and I would suddenly be in “cram mode,” which doesn’t work well for me.

In my next posting, I’ll discuss the work product. Until then, I’d love to hear from those of you who are currently preparing for the exam or who have questions about it.

Preparing for Certification?

You’ve been in the training and development field for several years now. You are intimately familiar with adult learning theory, Mr. Maslow and his hierarchy, and the taxonomy of Bloom. Or at least you know how to use the principles, even if you may not be able to identify them.

You are in the same position as I was in 2006 when I first heard about ASTD’s new CPLP certification. CPLP stands for Certified Professional in Learning and Performance.  Just like you, I had been in the T&D field for numerous years and had been doing the work that is described in the certification outline. So, why bother to become certified?

I believe this to be a very personal decision, and I gladly share with you my reasoning.

I have been working on completing my bachelor’s degree for more than 20 years. You know the deal - working parent, barely time to sleep, no time for class - many of you can relate. In the last few years I have felt my lack of degree has become a barrier to moving on to the next level in my career. So, while I am currently three-quarters of the way through my degree and will be done with it by this time next year (hooray!), I felt the CPLP certification would give me some validation now that I am indeed a competent training professional.

I am proud to be the second person in Oregon to have achieved this certification, and encourage you to pursue it if you consider it to be valuable. If indeed you are planning to take the exam in the one of the upcoming testing windows, you’ll want to begin preparing now. As you do so, I’m happy to be a resource for you - sometimes it can really help to bounce ideas off of someone who has been there!

My Strengths Quest

It was five or so years ago when I was first introduced to Now, Discover Your Strengths by Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D., and Marcus Buckingham. I was working at WellPoint Health Networks and was lucky enough to be in an OD department with some wonderful folks. Two of them, Lisa and Mari, were delving into the strengths work and allowed me to tag along.

Lisa had been working with her executive clients in the organization to bring the StrengthsFinder instrument into their teams. Mari was spearheading a team (which was me) to develop and administer an enterprise-wide Management Development Program, and we worked together to create a course based on the StrengthsFinder instrument for the program curriculum.

I took the instrument and read the book…and was hooked! The concept rang true in my soul! For years I had been fed the corporate line that I should strive to become a “well-rounded professional” and all the while it felt…wrong. Finally, now, I knew I had validation that I wasn’t “off” or less than I should be - I was ME and it was RIGHT!

As I continued my work with Lisa and Mari, I felt my confidence grow and I became more comfortable in my skin. I was able to apply the strengths focus to my instructor certifications as well. Although many people claim to crave “constructive” feedback, I truly believe more growth and behavior change occur as a result of positive feedback. Of course, I also offered “ideas for next time.” Focusing on strengths does not mean ignoring the weaknesses. What it did for me was remove the feeling that I HAD to become better at things that were fundamentally not part of me. So, as Marcus Buckingham suggests, I manage around my weaknesses using various tactics. One that works for me is to find a partner who loves what I loathe. My work with Mari was a perfect example - I’m not strong in the marketing aspects of a project, and she is a natural so she took care of that while I worked on the processes. Perfect parntership!

Another profound learning for me is that a strength is not only something you have a natural affinity for but is something that leaves you feeling strong. I am good at math and can do it but it leaves me feeling totally drained - which explains the reason I wait and wait and wait to balance my checkbook. Sadly, this is not a strength for my husband either, so I take on the task out of sheer necessity.

What rings true for you in the Strengths Movement? I’d love to hear from you!

Viva La Revolution!

If you’ve read any of my postings on ASTD BlogCascadia, you may know that I’m a Strengths Zealot. That means I subscribe to the belief that it is more productive to focus growth and development on maximizing one’s talents than on improving one’s weaknesses. This movement was begun years ago by Donald O. Clifton of the Gallup Organization. He spearheaded Gallup’s strengths movement and partnered up with Marcus Buckingham to write Now, Discover Your Strengths, a book that has had a profound impact on my life. After reading it, I felt like I was no longer the odd one out for having rebelled against being told to become a “well-rounded” professional. That always felt wrong and now I was free from the feeling that I had to conform!

I have taken the Clifton StrengthsFinder instrument several times, and each time three of my top five have remained constant: Communication, Positivity, and Responsibility. They speak so strongly to the person I see when I look in the mirror. The great thing about this instrument is that it reflects what I feel I am strong in - and, as our friend Bob Pike says, “People don’t argue with their own data.”

Next time, I’ll share a bit about how specifically the Strengths Revolution has improved my life. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Shari