Technical protagonism is a given in grad life, especially for doctorate students trying to break the frontiers of knowledge, but are you exercising other types of protagonism during this life stage? Whether in industry or academia, you should know that your advanced scientific background makes you likely expected to interact with people, be a leader, and execute managerial functions in your job – and preparation for that starts way before the graduation ceremony.
I had a supervisor who used to say, “Those who are not seen are not remembered,” and that stuck with me. Don’t be afraid of being under the spotlight—self- and professional development should happen in parallel with technical development. Today, I want to show you some practical steps to start being more confident with that idea and incorporating protagonism into your daily lab routine.
Step 1: Know your strengths and interests
Odds are that you come from a different background than your lab peers. What do you like or know that could improve other’s lives? I love writing and have strong presentation, mentorship and reviewing experience. Make your own mental (or physical!) list of your good traits.
Step 2: Network inside your own lab first
Do you know of other work that is going on in your lab? Do you know the people and their strengths? Do you position yourself as available and eager to learn and contribute? Answering “yes” to these questions makes you a resourceful hub in your lab – dependable leaders are good leaders!
Step 3: Suggest and deliver
Now that you know what’s happening, you should have realized what works and doesn’t in your environment. Use that information as a trigger for your “revolution.” Start by suggesting (and implementing!) small changes or improvements. It’s important not to be aggressive but assertive. If your peers embrace your initiatives, push through to deliver and lead by example – don’t leave things unfinished. For instance, after realizing people have a hard time writing and are still inexperienced (step 2), I have proposed a paper writing program for students in my lab. Everyone is expected to have a conference paper manuscript by the end of the program, including me. I have been running it once a week since June, and we are already seeing the results.
Step 4: Be courageous, but know your limits
It’s important that you are genuinely curious about people and courageous enough to show yourself throughout this process. Starting small (whatever that means to you) is important to be consistent, so only commit to what you can mentally and physically handle—that takes courage, too.
Step 5: Take note of your achievements
Celebrating the more significant and more minor achievements is equally important. Baby steps naturally evolve into running, so take advantage of the power of time and the propagation properties of intentional transformations. Document everything, whether it is in a journal, database or portfolio form, so you remember your efforts and have all the information you need when you go into the next stage of your life full of not only memories but also the confidence that you have done it and will keep on doing it!