Engagement in Professional Growth: Learning With Intention in 2026
Professional growth does not happen by accident. While experience accumulates with time, meaningful development comes from intentional engagement — with learning opportunities, with peers, and with the broader professional community.
February offers a natural pause point: an opportunity to reflect on where your learning has taken you so far, and to plan how you want to engage in the year ahead.
This month’s LES theme, Engagement in Professional Growth, is supported by two practical tools: the February Actions for Engagement calendar, which breaks professional development into small, purposeful actions that can be integrated into everyday practice, and the LES 2026 ALA Conference Supplier Directory, which can be used as a learning and planning tool to help identify suppliers aligned with your clinical focus, prepare meaningful questions, and support clearer, more informed decision-making in practice.
Start with reflection, not resolution
Before committing to new learning, it’s worth noticing what has already made a difference.
Key action (Week 1 – Reflection):
Review one CPD activity from 2025 and note the biggest shift it created in your practice.
This might be a change in how you explain treatment options, greater confidence in garment selection, or a clearer understanding of when to seek additional support. Growth becomes more intentional when it is recognised.
Professional growth looks different at every career stage
Early-career professionals: building orientation and confidence
For newly trained professionals, engagement often centres on understanding what is available and how different tools support patient care.
Helpful actions this month include:
- Talking with colleagues about what CPD they are prioritising (Week 1 – Collaboration)
- Reviewing conference programs or abstract lists to identify knowledge gaps (Week 1 – Research & Evidence)
- Blocking short, realistic time for CPD planning (Week 1 – Professional Growth)
The aim at this stage is not mastery, but familiarity and confidence.
Mid-career professionals: choosing focus and direction
Around five years into practice, many clinicians begin to gravitate toward specific clinical interests—such as cancer care, aged care, wound management, or complex oedema.
At this stage, engagement benefits from focus.
Key actions to support this include:
- Committing to one conference, workshop, or online module aligned with your interests (Week 2 – Professional Growth)
- Identifying an industry partner who can support deeper product understanding (Week 2 – Collaboration)
- Trialling clearer, more structured communication in clinical consultations (Week 2 – Clinical Practice)
Intentional engagement helps move learning from accumulation to application.
Experienced professionals: sustaining curiosity and leadership
For clinicians with extensive experience, professional growth often involves staying curious, mentoring others, and exploring adjacent areas of practice.
Actions this month might include:
- Contacting professional associations for updated CPD tools or requirements (Week 3 – Collaboration)
- Choosing one clinical skill to actively refine over the next six weeks (Week 3 – Professional Growth)
- Sharing useful learning resources with colleagues (Week 4 – Collaboration)
Engagement at this stage strengthens both personal practice and the profession as a whole.
Learning is stronger when it is shared
Across all experience levels, learning is more effective when it is discussed, questioned, and reflected on with others.
The February Actions for Engagement calendar encourages regular collaboration – asking colleagues what they are learning, sharing resources, and attending events together where possible.
This aligns with insights shared by Theresa Bauer in a recent LES podcast, where she highlighted the value of exploring learning outside one’s immediate field and using conversation as a catalyst for growth.
Key action:
Identify one colleague, mentor, or “conference buddy” you can check in with before and after learning activities.
Using conferences as intentional learning tools
Conferences offer rich opportunities for engagement when approached with purpose. In 2026, relevant events include:
- The ALA Conference – https://www.alaconference2026.com.au/
- The Wounds Australia Conference – https://woundsconference.org/
- Related conferences such as the Australian Physiotherapy Association. Occupational Therapy Australia, Australian Hand Therapy Association, Nursing, Aged Care etc
Rather than attending passively, consider:
- Reviewing programs or abstracts in advance (Week 1 – Research & Evidence)
- Setting one or two clear learning objectives
- Planning conversations that support your clinical interests
Making the most of the LES 2026 ALA Conference Supplier Directory
To support purposeful engagement, LES has created the 2026 ALA Conference Supplier Directory.
The directory can be used as a learning and planning tool, helping you to:
- Identify suppliers relevant to your clinical focus
- Prepare meaningful questions ahead of the conference
- Support clearer, more informed decision-making in practice
Key action (Week 2 – Collaboration):
Identify one industry partner and request a resource, comparison guide, or education update that supports your learning goals.
Small actions, meaningful impact
Looking ahead
Professional growth is ongoing, personal, and strengthened through connection. By engaging intentionally, through reflection, collaboration, evidence, and practical application, clinicians at every stage can continue to evolve their practice in meaningful ways.
LES looks forward to supporting this engagement throughout 2026 through shared resources, conversations, conferences, and tools designed to make learning purposeful and practical.
Thanks to our sponsors
Thank you to our industry partners for supporting the development of the LES 2026 ALA Conference Supplier Directory.
