HRCP Blog

Don’t think that the irony is lost on me that it’s taken 11 days for me to get around to writing the promised blog entry on beating procrastination. I haven’t really been procrastinating; I’ve just been really busy. (They’re different, right?)

Nearly everyone procrastinates, especially if the task is particularly unpleasant or overwhelming. If you are procrastinating your preparation for the PHR or SPHR exam, here are some suggestions that might help:

• Create a written study schedule. Identify the topics that you need to study and determine how much time you will need to put into each area. Break up the content into manageable chunks so that you don’t become overwhelmed. Be sure to build review and testing periods into your schedule. Also, schedule in some make-up days. If something comes up and you miss a day of study, you can catch up on your make-up day. If you’ve stayed on schedule, you get the day off!
• Calendar it. When you create your schedule, use an actual calendar. You know, the kind with the little squares that each represent a day. Be date-specific in your schedule.
• Make a social commitment. You are more likely to stick to your schedule if others know what you’re doing, and even more so if you are required to report to someone. Studying with a partner or joining a study group are ways to accomplish this. You might also report your progress to your spouse, your children, a friend, a carpool mate, or your parents. Ask those who love and care about you to help you stick to your schedule by not planning other events during your study time. Your loved ones can have an active role in your studies, even if they know nothing about HR. An eight-year-old son, daughter, niece, nephew, or neighbor would get a kick out of quizzing you on flash card terms.
• Reward yourself. Plan rewards for sticking to your study schedule. A little reward each day (a walk, a favorite TV show, a tasty treat), and a bigger reward for completing one of the major functional areas (go out for dinner, order takeout, see a ball game, or have a movie night).

If you have trouble sticking to your schedule, determine if you’ve made your plan too aggressive and revamp it. Ask for more help from family or friends. Adjust the rewards, if necessary.

Are you planning to take the PHR or SPHR exam in the December/January testing window? Are you finding it difficult to be motivated to study with the exam still several months away? HR professionals preparing for the PHR and SPHR exams should know Expectancy Theory, which explains that motivation is determined by the outcomes people expect to occur as a result of their actions. The amount of effort an individual is willing to exert depends on three things:

1. the perceived relationship between effort and performance (expectancy),
2. the perceived relationship between performance and the outcomes (instrumentality), and
3. the value of the outcomes (valence).

An illustration might be helpful. The level of motivation you have to study for the PHR or SPHR exam is determined by

1. Expectancy: “If I study hard, will I learn the required material?”
2. Instrumentality: “If I learn the required material, will I be able to answer a sufficient number of questions correctly to pass the exam?”
3. Valence: “If I pass the exam, will it lead to positive consequences in my professional and personal life?”

If you doubt that studying hard will result in learning the necessary information, or if you don’t believe that the knowledge you attain will help you correctly answer exam questions, then you won’t be very motivated to study. Also, if you don’t believe that obtaining certification will lead to valuable outcomes, you won’t be motivated.

What if you do believe all of the above, but you are still not adequately motivated to study? Perhaps you don’t think you need to study now to attain the desired outcome. Up next: beating procrastination. But right now, make sure you understand and can explain Expectancy Theory.

People looking at the HRCP Program as a possible resource for PHR and SPHR exam preparation study materials often wonder about the program’s authors. I thought I’d introduce you to one of them today.

I am lucky to have the world’s best business partner. David Cherrington is HRCP’s co-founder and the main author of the HRCP Program. I can’t imagine anyone more qualified to lead HR professionals down the road to certification. A professor at Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management, David has been teaching human resource management for more than 35 years. He served on the HRCI (Human Resource Certification Institute) Board of Directors, where he was in charge of exam item development. He also conducted the 1993 codification study that helped define and expand the HRCI body of knowledge. He is a seasoned textbook author, a vigorous researcher, and a prolific writer. He’s also a champion runner and hurdler, which shoots him way up in my esteem.

Professional and athletic qualifications aside, David is a terrific guy. I don’t know anyone more honest, caring, and generous. I’m lucky to work with him. Hey, I consider myself fortunate just to know him.