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Dear friends,
How are you? You made it through the unofficial start of the year, September. Now spooky season is upon us, and I, for one, can’t wait to dress up and hand out candy!
Lately I’ve been spending time with colleagues who are levelling up- moving from mentored to independent grants, or navigating work after promotion to associate professor. Sometimes after we achieve these milestones, we feel daunted. This is normal! When we advance to a new type of work, whether it’s managing a larger team or taking on a leadership role, the day-to-day does become more difficult. Anytime you are doing things for the first time, expect to be inefficient! This post is more about coping strategies and affirmation than having expert advice, because I don’t think there is any way to avoid this. Here are things I wish I knew about the stressful side of career advancement.
You still need mentors. There’s this weird phenomenon in academic medicine where we say, “Congratulations! You’re a PI now! You don’t need a mentor anymore.” That is not how work-or life- works. If possible, keep scheduled check-ins with a trusted mentor on the calendar. It sounds reasonable to meet on an as-needed basis, but in practice, you will do better to build in a system in advance. Unexpected issues will come up, and your mentor may not be available if you haven’t planned ahead.
Embrace the uncertainty. It is inherently stressful to do something for the first time, even if you’ve been looking forward to it. Let your self-talk be kind! If you tell yourself “what’s wrong with me, I kind of want to give back this grant after working so hard to get here?” those thoughts are not going to help you be productive or inspired. Instead, think of how you can encourage yourself. My analogy is hiking. I can feel tired, discouraged, and a little grumpy when I am on an unfamiliar, strenuous trail, but I am inevitably glad for the adventure and thrilled with the views. If you’re stressed about a big challenge at work, let it be the kind of stress you feel when you’re headed uphill on a rocky trail and you see many, many more switchbacks ahead.
Be transparent. Emphasize to your collaborators and team that this is a first for you. When you lead a project, you can shape a culture where everyone learns together. I have noticed that when I admit that I don’t know the right answer, I get many more promising suggestions from my team and my colleagues.
Take some time for yourself. If you read this blog regularly, you know that I believe laziness does not exist and rest is a fundamental human need. It might seem paradoxical to ask you to step away just after you start something different and big at work. Consider that our brains need even more time to process when we are stretching our skills. And if you’re flagging on a long hike, you stop and rest, right?
Now it’s your turn- what strategies have you used to manage a transition to a new role at work? Drop me a line. As always, please share widely and, if you are so inclined, sign up for the blog here. Keep in touch and do share good news so I can amplify your successes!
Warmly,
Urmimala