It’s September of 2021. I’m proud of all of you for getting this far! Usually, I would encourage you to put one foot in front of the other, but not today. Today I want you to disappoint someone.
Congratulations on Your Rejection
Recently I had a conversation with a junior colleague whose career development award is ending soon and whose independent grants haven’t quite come through yet. They are discouraged, and this is natural. They described two different, innovative project ideas that have been submitted and rejected, including one which was “not discussed” at study section, which, as most of you know, means a revised version is unlikely to be funded. The unfunded grants and institutional challenges they described are real and painful, and, at the same time, as I heard them talking, I felt. . .optimistic.
Sound the Retreat
Understanding that we as humans have seasonal rhythms, and taking these into account, has made me both happier and more productive. The pace of work slows down in summer to accommodate vacations, social gatherings, and weather that lures us away from our desks. Instead of setting goals that don’t match this reality, I suggest a work retreat.
Taking Off Our Masks
How are you? It’s been a long, hard pandemic slog, but June- Pride month- is great time to find our optimism. As a Gen Xer, I’ve seen a revolution in my lifetime in how we think about our LGBTQIA friends, neighbors, and colleagues, and it gives me hope that we can make progress towards racial and gender justice. I’m starting to feel like I can see my way through the fog of the past 15 months, and it’s a good time to take stock.
Switching Costs
This month’s topic was inspired by a mentee question about managing simultaneous deadlines. What do you do when you have multiple papers and a grant to push out the door? How do you efficiently work on more than one writing project? The more senior you become, the more critical it is to master this way of working. I don’t have a perfect solution, but I can share a few strategies.
Out of the Office
March was a tough month, wasn’t it? This month I want to talk about time away from work. Whether it’s for parental leave or sudden family needs of a less joyful nature, time away can cause stress for the person who taking time off, their colleagues, staff, and mentors. My underlying assumptions: (1) People experience life events in very different ways; (2) It is not a job requirement to have exemplary coping skills/ resilience in the face of life challenges, let alone personal tragedy.
You Are Not Lazy
Happy March! How can time be both flying and crawling by? How is your work going? When someone asks me this question, my first instinct is always to reply “I’m so behind.” I doubt I am the only one who sets goals from a place of optimism and/or overestimation, cannot attain them, and subsequently feels inadequate.
So You Want to Be a Leader
Hi 2021
Here we are, at the beginning of 2021. This new year has brought such a mix of emotions. I am stepping into 2021 with great optimism, punctuated with frequent feelings of anxiety, grief, and frustration.
I don’t endorse any “New Year, New You” type of sentiment, but I do think the new year is a time for self-reflection. Even if you don’t want to make resolutions, it’s hard not to think about time passing and your future hopes. Instead of advice, here are some self-reflection questions/exercises for you to ponder. Please consider writing down your answers instead of thinking them. You will be surprised what makes its way from your brain to the page!
Put Your Best You Forward
I hope you are all well and safe, and taking heart in the promising vaccine trial results. Better days are ahead! As 2020 draws to a close, I know that some of you are preparing for your next step in your career, and all signs seem to be pointing to job interviews. I have been interviewing residency candidates. The career development curriculum I lead just had a panel about interviews, where two of my colleagues shared their interviewing wisdom, and I recently completed a series of interviews myself. (I’m not looking to move; I recently took a department-wide role at UCSF that complements my research and mentoring.)
Dollars and Sense
Hope this message finds all of you safe and healthy. I won’t entreat all of you to vote - I know many of you already have, and if you haven’t, I am confident you have a plan! This month I want to talk about that most sticky of subjects, money! We know that women and people of color are paid less in academia compared to white men, and of course, this is a huge intersectional problem for women of color. (I am purposely stating this as a fact and not using space to cite supporting data. I want to talk strategies.)
Rest Shouldn't Be a Four Letter Word
Since my last message to you, 2020 has not gotten better. There’s a lot, and I especially want to acknowledge the anger, frustration, and grief at the failure to hold anyone responsible for Breonna Taylor’s murder. We truly can’t go on like this. I know many of you have had incredibly difficult personal challenges too, and I hope that you will reach out if I can provide support and/ or a listening ear. It’s OK to struggle right now. (And if you are feeling guilty because other people have more difficult circumstances, I have to ask, is that guilt helping you or anyone else? Be kind to yourself.)
Brag is Not a Four Letter Word
I hope you are as well as you can be as 2020 marches on, and on, and on. One of you inspired this post, by reflecting on a wonderful boss “who recognizes contributions from people who are understated.” I know that I recently encouraged you to share your accomplishments, and some of you have even shared them with me- thank you! I hope this post will help those of you who continue to struggle to share your accomplishments.
Time in the Time of Coronavirus
I hope all of you are safe, healthy, and as well as you can possibly be at this challenging time. My father reflected to me recently that he always conceptualized his move to the US from India as similar to his own grandfather’s move from their hometown to the city of Lahore- one day’s journey. Now COVID has stretched the distances between us, and as I hit “send” I hope for the day I can see you in person!
Reinvention Time
Dear friends,
It’s July and we are still trudging down a long dark tunnel. It’s a good time to revel in small victories and appreciate positive moments amidst all the sadness and uncertainty. Reach out for the support you need!
Recently several friends have had what I’ve been calling “COVID epiphanies” in which they decide on a major life change.
Control the Narrative
Thank you for still being there. We have been climbing uphill for months now, and I am so humbled to see all that you have accomplished despite all of the heartache and adverse circumstances. I know many of you are working remotely, and even if you are going in to the office, interactions with colleagues are much more limited. Without those hallway conversations, people don’t know day-to-day what is happening with you. Most people doing research, whether faculty or trainees, have needed to change their projects and their plans over the last 3 months, for a combination of personal and logistical reasons. No-one is following the plans they laid out in February!
Emotionally Fatigued
Dear friends, Today I got an email from a mentee titled “emotionally fatigued.” They shared that it was hard to engage on a zoom meeting amidst the unspeakable deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd and the appalling video of Amy Cooper threatening Christian Cooper with police violence. It is so hard to know what to write in the face of this inhumanity. I know many of you felt, as I did, sick to your stomach, reading and hearing about these racist attacks. I also know many people reading this have this grief compounded and amplified by a daily fear about your family’s and your own safety living your life in your own country. It is unbearable.
Like A Boss
Dear friends,
What I know is that everyone is struggling right now. Whether you are in a new and worse economic position or grieving lost family members and friends or simply trying to get through the day with kids at home, I am sending you support. Please do whatever brings you comfort, even if it is momentary.
Jump Start Your Brain!
We spoke on Thursday about productivity. To reiterate, I don't expect anyone to be at full steam right now. I can't pretend that I don't feel worry or pressure about our inability to do lab work. I think we all feel that, and it is normal to struggle with expectations when the world has been turned upside down. But going on as if things aren't any different than they were a month ago is not a solution to the problem at hand. We have to take our current situation and see what is possible for each of us. I hope in the weeks to come that we can continue to challenge ourselves to think differently about our work so that we are prepared to hit the ground running. I hope each of us will have the opportunity to better understand ourselves and be more resilient in the face of pressure.