Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Part I Becoming an independent researcher
- Part II Thriving in your new job
- 10 Handling new roles
- 11 Learning from other people
- 12 Managing people
- 13 Building a research group I
- 14 Building a research group II
- 15 Interacting with others
- 16 Designing a taught course
- 17 Giving a good lecture
- 18 Beyond lecturing
- 19 Mentoring
- Part III Managing your career
- Index
- References
12 - Managing people
from Part II - Thriving in your new job
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Part I Becoming an independent researcher
- Part II Thriving in your new job
- 10 Handling new roles
- 11 Learning from other people
- 12 Managing people
- 13 Building a research group I
- 14 Building a research group II
- 15 Interacting with others
- 16 Designing a taught course
- 17 Giving a good lecture
- 18 Beyond lecturing
- 19 Mentoring
- Part III Managing your career
- Index
- References
Summary
There are so many theories of how best to manage people that whole courses are run on this topic alone. Here we advocate thinking ‘win–win’ and ‘seeking first to understand’ in order to create synergy. In practical terms, we provide a number of scenarios that require a management solution. These are managing up (your bosses), sideways (your peers) and down (your research group). We recognise that different management skills are required to handle different situations; however, the ‘win–win, seek first to understand and synergise’ approach underlies all cases.
The theory
Managing people is an art not a science and some would even say a black art. There is an apocryphal saying that managing academics is like herding cats or pushing a wheelbarrow full of frogs. However, you only have to look at the success of ‘big science’ projects such as the Large Hadron Collider to realise that this saying is only partially true.
Managing people in academia, or more generally in research, does not necessarily mean working within well-defined hierarchical structures, such as those found in industry. However, there is a common code of good practice, which underlies managing others. It requires recognition of the fact that we are interdependent on others for achieving outstanding results. In the context of Covey’s seven habits of effective people (Chapter 1), a good group leader would think ‘win–win’ (habit 4), seek first to understand (habit 5) and synergise (habit 6) (Covey, 2004). What does this mean?
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- How to Succeed as a ScientistFrom Postdoc to Professor, pp. 116 - 121Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011