The RDR has created much debate across our industry. The possibility of differing levels of adviser has encouraged enormous speculation about the levels of professional competence that will have to be demonstrated by advisers into the future.
There is probably common agreement that increased professionalism is no bad thing and that there is quite possibly a need to encourage some of our adviser community into a more appropriate and proactive form of continuing professional development.
Historically we have been proficient as an industry at rising to an educational challenge driven by regulatory requirement. Those of us who were around when FPC came along will remember the sheer volume of individuals seeking a qualification pass and the speed at which they were able to drive through to the finish line. So, why is that?
As adults we choose to learn for a number of reasons. In order for us to stay focused until the task is complete, we must have our own motivators. Learning to achieve an examination pass in a relevant subject is goal oriented learning and goal oriented learning requires a very specific type of input. When we talk about up-skilling the industry, we must understand that at the heart of that objective is the desire to move our adviser community away from simple goal oriented learning and towards a much more learning oriented approach. That is, learning for learning sake. Creating a learning environment in which people seek out new knowledge is a challenge for our employers and networks. Turning this into a reality needs a change of emphasis in the way we have traditionally approached teaching. The question is not "how do we motivate these people?" but rather "how do we encourage people to motivate themselves?"
This shift in the perception of learning for many may be dramatic. Typically we have all been encouraged to look to someone else for our learning. Now, we are in essence saying, "Take responsibility for your own development".