Professional self-control

The experience of work

• Balancing activities, relationships, commitments

• Dealing with inter-relationship between personal reaction and external commitment– Dealing with boredom, excitement, etc

Dealing with people

• Dealing with authority

• Dealing with customers

• Dealing with peers

Personal hang-ups and Professional Relationships

• Issues that lie deep in the psyche affect professional behaviour

• Professional development partly depends on the extent to which we can control our emotional responses

• Some people experience fears of:– Authority– Public speaking– Technology (!)

• These can impact professional development!

Looking at ourselves

• What are the triggers that make us want to work and be successful?– What are the motivating factors

• Many theories…• Ways of looking at yourself…• Resources for self-examination:• http://changingminds.org/• Myers-Briggs

http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/mmdi-re/mmdi-re.htm• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

http://www.livinglifetothefull.com/elearning/

Technology and Self-Control

• The challenge to personal life in the modern world is complexity– “We haven’t enough time, money, etc”, “We

can’t keep track of things…”, etc

• Technology helps us to cope in an increasingly complex world

• Good technological habits are becoming increasingly important for effective personal development

What are good technological habits?

• Using technology to manage the complexity of the world around us

• Take control of the information we need– Acquire habits to use RSS feeds properly

• Acquire habits to find and organise information– Acquire habits to use social bookmarking, effective internet

searches, etc.• Acquire habits to find people and resources who can

give us information– Acquire habits to engage with online communities, and organise

social contacts (Skype, MSN, mobile phones, etc)• Acquire the habits to make technological action part of

everyday action.

Habits of Controlling the Self

• Being open to self-examination in professional and personal life

• Recognising that professional development rests both of external technological habits and personal self-control

Summary

• Self-control is fundamental to professional development

• As important as control of external technologies

• Importance of creating effective habits – technological habits and self-examination habits