How we feel is a mostly a function of if and how we feel connected to the people around us. Building, maintaining, and growing relationships is thus key to how we feel and also how successful we are. Academia is in many ways an unusual place since careers are enabled by scientific publications and discoveries, and not by people skills. However, it is never too late to learn. Here are my top three ways how to become more successful by improving your relationships at work.

• Be curious. Often, we forget to be curious about why other people around us act the way they do. We forget that the "inner models" people have of the world are very different from each other. Trying to project your model onto somebody else is often the cause of substantial misunderstandings, leading to conflict and unhappiness. Rather, take your time to truly be curious and ask the people around you about how they see things and what motivates them to act in a specific way.
• Be consistent. There is nothing more challenging than a boss/supervisor/colleague who one day is super flattering and excited, then the next day very abrupt and seemingly impossible to please. We all have natural mood fluctuations, however as a leader it is your responsibility to deal with them in a way that they do not affect your work relationships.
• Be honest. So often, it is much easier to slightly distort reality to make a difficult conversation a bit less difficult. The problem with this approach is that over time these little deviations from the truth start to accumulate and ultimately erode the trust people have in you. The better strategy is to be honest (and compassionate when you have to deliver bad news). In addition, if you promise less but put extraordinary effort into keeping all your promises, you will feel better and be more successful in the long run.

Try these strategies and please let me know how things go, either in the comment section below, or you can always reach me directly here.

Take care,

Flavio

It has been a while since I have last posted here. I have spent the last few months furiously writing grant applications to raise funds to continue our exciting research in the Frohlich Lab. I take great pride in how lean and efficient our lab is, but still, research costs real dollars. Also, I have started to think in earnest about how to reach a broader audience with our message about the brain. #scicomm As a result, I have launched two new initiatives that I invite you to check out and provide feedback on. Both have a brand new website that will be enriched with more content over time.


1. tacs.academy
Yes, this is an actual web address taking you to a website to inform that public in a balanced way about transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), which our Carolina Center for Neurostimulation actively investigates as a potential treatment for psychiatric illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia. The goal was to write about something very technical in a way that the non-expert can understand. I would like to give credit to the book "Don't be such a scientist" that has truly opened my eyes. A book worth reading!

2. flavio.network
Again, yes, this is an actual web address (recognize a theme?) that takes you to a brand new site that will provide insights about how the brain works as an inspiration for all of us to learn, grown, transform.

More news to follow. I wish you all the best with your own (new) projects. Remember, whatever your dream is, start TODAY to make a step towards realizing that dream.

Take care,

Flavio


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