Critical feedback is a central component of academic work, and learning to engage constructively with it – and derive the maximum benefit from it – is a skill we need to develop as researchers if we are to thrive. This can be challenging, particularly at the doctoral stage when our academic work often feels profoundly tangled up with our sense of self-identity.
In this supportive meet-up, we’ll be reflecting on how we have interpreted and engaged with feedback in the past, and what the impact of such a response has been, before working together using a Harvard-generated model to plan and practise an approach rooted in the idea of a growth-mindset.
Series background
As PhD and early career researchers, we all have ups and downs. If and when the downs get very bad, it might become clear to us that we need support. But there’s a world of space between being happy and fulfilled in our work, and that point at which we might, finally, admit there’s a problem and seek help.
Many – perhaps even most – researchers are working in that space. Most of us live with conditions and experiences that can have profound impacts on our capacities as researchers.
Experiences like imposter syndrome and academic anxieties are incredibly common. Common enough that we should be talking about them. A lot. So why the silence?
The Thriving Researcher is a new initiative that creates space and time for researchers to come together and break the silence. We’ll be discussing our shared experiences, and learning how to work – and how to thrive – in the face of challenges that can feel overwhelming and isolating.
These are informal, supportive events, with a focus on validating your experiences, reflecting on your responses to common challenges, and arming you with practical tips and tools to help you feel better equipped to do what you do best.