SPIRIT Leadership Course

Monday 14 June 2010

Melanie Bailey interviewed Natasa Grij and Paula Pograc from Slovenia to find out more:

Why did you decide to sign up for the Networking Training Course?
Natasa says : Honestly, I was sent to the course as a participant in the SPIRIT network (in the sense, somebody must go) and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect of it. The title offered little help and at first I took it as some social mumbo jumbo as this type of workshops can be. I was very surprised when it turned out quite differently.
Paula says : As a postdoctoral student working within SPIRIT I was sent to the Networking Training Course by my supervisor. Being a biologist I was very excited about it as it was a course that did not involve physics and as such I could attend. Also I think it is very important to meet and to get to know other people involved in SPIRIT.

What did you learn?
A lot! First of all, I learnt about myself. How do I function in a group, how I tolerate other people, their opinions and work and do I have in me what it takes to be a good leader. I’ve learnt more about leadership, specially this different approach to it, as to something that can (and must) be learnt. The task is not straightforward at all! And at last, this course made me think a little about other circumstances in life, since a group of people that have to stick and work together is not only your working group, but friends or family as well. Not to mention that as a consequence I’ve also learnt some more about the SPIRIT project, seen the views of other on it, and got acquainted with younger researchers from other labs. I had a good time with them and I think we’ve got to know each other much better during this one week course than we would do otherwise.
The Training course was a whole new experience. In a great way! Perhaps because my expectations were really low or just because I had an opportunity to intensively rethink how I function in a group, what it takes to be a good Leader and to start appreciating a role of each individual in a group.

How do you think the skills that you have learned on the Networking Training Course will help you in future with your research?
Well, they probably will have no direct effect on my research work. However, I try to act as we have discussed at the course. I am no leader, but small working groups form every day all the time and everybody must do a little to secure good working environment. And some guidelines from the course are very helpful.
Skills that I have learned on the Training Course are the ones everyone should be aware of regardless of what his or her line of work is. Good atmosphere at work, respect for your co-workers and a positive thinking environment should be essential to every working group as it the only way to get good results. The skills we learnt or let’s say the skill we discussed about on the Training course are the ones that can enable that.

Would you recommend the Networking Training Course to other PhD or postdoctoral researchers?
Absolutely! However, in addition to the students and younger researchers I would recommend it to the actual group, laboratory or departments leaders. Sometimes they take this role for granted, but it is not so easy and a workshop of this kind might help…
Not only to postdoctoral researchers but to anyone that cares about degree of cooperativeness in his working group.

Will you keep in touch with the other people that you met on the course?
I sure hope so! If not otherwise, we will definitely meet on the conferences or other courses. One course acquaintance already saved my nerves when I got stuck in Madrid, so thanks a lot again to her!
I certainly hope so.