A postdoctoral fellow's job is research. Research has many shades. If the goal is to publish, the projects should be entirely within the current knowledge base and skill set. If the goal is to develop research skills, the projects should just out of reach with ample guidance. If the goal is to mentor others on their research path, the projects should be well within the mentor's domain.
There are distinct and optimal work environments for each of those jobs. If you have all the knowledge and skills, the work is best done alone and uninterruptible (i.e., the novelist in a secluded cabin). Almost all interruptions will slow down the process. This is closed (and sound-proof) door work. If the research requires growth and collaboration, then access is needed. Digital access is fine but the exchanging of air molecules is far better. This is door opening "out" work. On the other hand, mentorship requires a door opening "in."
The typical office or research lab is only ideal for the last situation. The typical research environment does not have closed doors or the presence of the principal investigator. It does have frequent interruptions, often about "cake in the break room" or one person asking another person to be a human Stack Overflow. Those interruptions slow down the first two types of research. However if the goal is mentorship then those are not interruptions, they are teachable moments to make a human connection.
No comments:
Post a Comment