Understanding the difference between what constitutes a conflict and what does not, is crucial in scientific research. This understanding is fundamental to effectively managing or resolving conflicts that arise during our professional lives. When I first started developing leadership modules for researchers, I noticed a common misconception: many people labelled anything that slowed down or […]
In my leadership development work, I meet many managers who are suffering from too much pressure in their lives and are unsure about what they can do to relieve the pressure. When I suggest a simple form of meditation or related form of relaxation, I am often met with scepticism or quizzical looks. It’s as
The Benefits of Keeping a Cool Head Read More »
Not addressing conflicts is just as much a part of research as designing experiments or analysing data. In my experience, most researchers hope the conflicts will resolve themselves. Magically. Which they almost never do.That is unfortunate since, for most of us, dealing with conflict lies in our panic zone, beyond even our stretch zone. If that’s
Conflict in the Comfort Zone Read More »
I have been asked several times for my opinion on the Nature article, The 24/7 Lab – Working weekends. Leaving at midnight. Friday evening meetings. Does science come out the winner? The title took me on a trip down memory lane. When I was in Dublin, we kept odd hours, and there was always someone in
Five Ingredients for The 24/7 Lab Read More »
Once, after hours at a workshop, the conversation went slightly off the beaten track, and people began to swap stories about what they learned from different challenging or funny moments in their careers. Several times, the topic of resilience came up. It’s one of the most important characteristics a researcher can develop. Everyone has heard
How Not to Take “No” for an Answer Read More »
If you’re a long-time reader, you may dimly recall a blog with this title from a year ago. Well remembered! This post contains but a modest wish. Any time of year is a good time to curl up with a good work of fiction. If it transports us emotionally so that we’re there with the
Many thanks to my colleague Kati Järvinen, for bringing Stefan Sagmeister’s TED talk to my attention. In it, he describes how he made a conscious decision to take a one-year sabbatical every seven years and the impact of this decision. Conceptually, he took five years out of the retirement phase of his life and interspersed them through
The Power of Time Off Read More »
Very few people like to have to say “please listen: my project is a dog’s dinner” and, in many organisations, the culture of project management discourages raising such red flags. Gretchen Gavett’s article, “The hidden factor of a failing project” on the HBR blog touches on this topic. In my experience, it’s more a question
How to Get Your Project Managers to Tell You the Unvarnished Truth Read More »
I’m often asked about the difference between leadership and management. While it is helpful to be clear about the differences, you need to be able to both lead and manage if you want to produce top results and people. Field Marshal Lord Slim, responsible for the British campaign in Burma in WWII and a great
How Leadership Complements Management Read More »
Seth Godin once distilled a great list about getting serious about your meeting problem. It highlights the problem that people in many companies face: being in meetings all day. If you’ve wondered when the work gets done, for some people, the answer is that they have forgotten what work involves. The day is filled with meetings,
No Agenda = No Meeting Read More »
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