If you’ve ever attended a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) session and found yourself struggling to remember what was covered just a few weeks later, you’re certainly not alone. Over the past twenty years, I’ve delivered training to thousands of people across education, financial services, insurance, charities, professional services and many other sectors. I’ve also attended countless training events myself, and one thing has become increasingly clear: not all CPD is created equal.
Some training sessions are enjoyable but quickly forgotten. Others leave you feeling inspired for a day before everything returns to normal. Great CPD is different. It changes the way you think, work and perform long after the session has finished. In my experience, that’s what Continuing Professional Development should be about. It shouldn’t simply increase knowledge; it should increase confidence, change behaviour and help people become more effective in the real world.
So, what makes good CPD? Here are seven characteristics I believe every organisation should look for when investing in the development of its people.
Whenever I begin working with a new organisation, one of the first questions I ask isn’t, “What would you like me to present?” Instead, I ask, “What do you want your people to think, feel or do differently afterwards?” That single question changes everything because it shifts the focus away from delivering content and towards creating meaningful outcomes.
As a qualified teacher, this is how I’ve always approached learning. Every successful lesson, workshop or development programme begins with a clear destination. Once we understand what success looks like, we can work backwards to create an experience that gives people the best opportunity to achieve it. Great CPD isn’t built around slides or activities; it’s built around purposeful learning outcomes.
Every organisation is unique. Every team has its own culture, strengths and challenges, and every individual brings different experiences, motivations and ways of learning. That’s why I’ve never believed in delivering identical workshops to every client.
The most effective Learning & Development programmes are tailored to the people in the room. Before designing any training, I want to understand the organisation, the challenges people are facing and the conversations they need to have more confidently. When learning feels relevant and immediately applicable, people naturally engage more deeply and are much more likely to use what they’ve learned once they’re back at work.
One of the biggest misconceptions about learning is that information automatically becomes knowledge. It really doesn’t.
Information needs to become understanding. Understanding needs to be applied through lived experience. Through application, you can develop your confidence, and confidence repeated over time becomes lasting change. This is where many training programmes fall short. People attend, take notes, enjoy the session and then return to old habits, because they were never given the opportunity to bridge the gap between understanding an idea and using it in practice.
That is why I place such a strong emphasis on discussion, reflection, practical exercises and real-life application. My goal is never simply for you to understand a concept; it’s for you to leave feeling confident enough to use it.
People often assume that learning has to be serious to be effective. I don’t believe that’s true.
Throughout my teaching career, I’ve found that people learn best when they feel relaxed, comfortable and actively involved. The work of linguist Stephen Krashen and his Affective Filter Hypothesis support this. Curiosity grows when people feel psychologically safe enough to contribute, ask questions and explore ideas together. Enjoyment and laughter aren’t distractions from learning; when used well, they can become powerful catalysts for deeper engagement.
At the same time, enjoyable training should never come at the expense of substance. My aim is always to create workshops that are engaging, practical and thought-provoking, leaving people with ideas they continue reflecting on long after the session has ended.
Perhaps the most valuable thing I can help someone develop isn’t a leadership technique or a communication model. It’s the ability to become a better learner.
Most of us have never been taught how learning actually works. We aren’t shown how memory develops, why reflection matters, how habits are formed or why small improvements compound over time. Once people understand these principles, something remarkable happens. They become more curious, more independent and more confident in their ability to keep developing themselves.
In today’s rapidly changing world, this has become one of the greatest competitive advantages an individual or organisation can possess. Technology will continue evolving. AI will continue transforming the workplace. The people who thrive won’t simply be those with the most knowledge; they’ll be those who can continue learning, adapting and growing throughout their careers.
One of the questions I often ask organisations is, “How will you know this training has been successful?”
The answer shouldn’t simply be that people enjoyed the day or completed a feedback form. Whilst positive feedback is always encouraging, the real measure of success is what happens afterwards. Are managers having better conversations? Are teams collaborating more effectively? Are people applying the techniques they learned several weeks or even months later?
For me, behaviour change is the true purpose of professional development. When people begin thinking differently, communicating differently and approaching challenges with greater confidence, organisations start seeing a genuine return on their investment in learning.
One of my favourite moments as a trainer isn’t hearing that someone enjoyed a workshop. It’s hearing that the session inspired them to read a book, ask better questions, try a new approach or continue developing themselves after they left the room.
To me, that’s when learning has really succeeded.
The best Continuing Professional Development doesn’t create dependence on a trainer. It creates independent learners who continue growing long after the training has finished. It reminds people that learning isn’t something we complete. It’s something we continue throughout our lives, and that mindset has the power to transform careers, organisations and even lives.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned after more than twenty years of teaching, it’s that great CPD is never about delivering as much information as possible. It’s about creating experiences that change the way people think, work and learn.
When people leave a workshop with greater confidence, practical tools, stronger relationships and a genuine desire to keep developing themselves, Continuing Professional Development becomes far more than a mandatory requirement. It becomes an investment in people, and I believe there are few better investments any organisation can make.
If you’re looking for engaging, practical CPD training that’s built around your organisation’s goals and designed to create lasting behaviour change, I’d love to hear from you. Together, we can create a learning experience that your people won’t simply attend, but one they’ll remember, apply and continue benefiting from long after the day has finished.
Kataholos Leadership Training is available to be delivered as:
121 online coaching
Online or in person group training
Online course in both video and audio format
Through subscription to our online platform www.kataholoslearning.co.uk
Love and best wishes,
WhatsApp: +44 7581412253
Email: michael@kataholos.co.uk