Changing Academic Life

Continuing our culture theme, I revisit past podcast conversations that explore how to foster positive research environments and cultures. We hear from people such as Elizabeth Adams, Tanita Casci, Jolanta Burke, Janet Reed, Alex Taylor, Kia Hook, and Lindsay Oades, who share their experiences and insights on creating a sense of belonging and collegiality within academic settings. Their stories emphasize recognizing individual strengths, promoting transparency, celebrating achievements, and the importance of supportive management practices for bringing out the best in people. Hopefully you will take away practical ideas and inspiration, and recognise the importance of both micro-actions and collective efforts in creating supportive, transparent, and inclusive cultures.00:00 Intro00:29 Episode introduction - fostering good cultures03:48 Glasgow Uni's Research Culture Awards07:51 Jolanta Burke on positive organisations09:53 Janet Read on flexibility and supporting people with young families11:47 Janet Read on know your team12:32 Janet Read on bringing out the best in people16:14 Alex Taylor on the power of the collective22:25 Kia Höök on Fika25:50 Lindsay Oades on autonomy, rationales and leeting people they are valued29:58 Wrapping up33:18 Outro34:05 Repeating what Lindsay saidRelated LinksPast episodes used in this curated episode:Tanita Casci and Elizabeth Adams on supporting, rewarding and celebrating a positive collegial research culture (from May 2021)Jolanta Burke on burnout, harmonious passion, positive workplaces & helping others (from Nov 2017)Janet Read on charm bracelets, finish tape & the work to be a complete academic (from May 2018) Alex Taylor on research at the boundaries, moving from industry to academia, the labour of academia & the power of the collective (from July 2019)Kia Höök on challenges of success & value of slowing down and re-connecting (from Feb 2017) Lindsay Oades on academic wellbeing, connecting to strengths, meaning and purpose, and not taking the system too seriously (from Sept 2018)And others you can search for on Changing Academic Life who also talk about culture (among many others): Sarah Davies (part 2), Mark Reed, Karen Stroobants, Elizabeth Churchill.

Continuing the theme of great research environments, I explore how to contribute to creating great research cultures with a focus on the concept of psychological safety. I contrast the prize winning example we heard about in the last episode with examples of experiences with poor research environments. This leads to a discussion of the value of psychological safety as defined by Amy Edmondson, and others for enabling creativity, collaboration, and innovation. Psychological safety is about creating conditions where people feel safe speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns and mistakes and that foster a learning culture. I discuss practical strategies for leaders through their everyday interactions for fostering such an environment and enabling innovation, collaboration and personal growth and wellbeing. And I finish up with an invitation for all of us to reflect on our role in cultivating a supportive and inclusive academic culture.00:00 Intro00:29 Introduction to Creating Great Research Cultures00:52 Recap of Prize-Winning Research Environment02:38 Understanding Psychological Safety03:40 Examples of Poor Research Environments10:37 Defining Psychological Safety12:21 Historical Context of Psychological Safety15:42 Research on Psychological Safety21:31 Psychological safety as key factor in Google's great teams23:03 Leadership and Psychological Safety24:15 Role Modeling and Self-Awareness26:46 Fostering Belonging, Inclusion and Learning29:18 Co-Creating Research Culture through our Actions31:20 Conclusion and ReflectionRelated links:Previous podcast episode with Line, Nicklas, and Nina on Danis Young Academy prize research environmentsAmy Edmondson web pageAmy C. Edmondson and Shike Lei, Psychological Safety: The History, Renaissance, and Future of an Interpersonal Construct. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior. Vol 1:23-43, 2014. Amy C. Edmondson. The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. Wiley. 2019.Pat Thomson, Blog article - Felling like an imposter?Pat Thomson, feeling like an imposter? Google’s Project AristotleRoyal Society, Research Culture Embedding inclusive excellence: Insights on the future culture of research. (Tom Welton quote on culture p6)

What are the ingredients for creating a supportive, inclusive research culture? Nina Molin Høyland-Kroghsbo from the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences , Microbial Ecology and Biotechnology at the University of Copenhagen discusses the Research Environment Prize established three years ago by the Danish Young Academy to promote and celebrate good research environments, as experienced by early career researchers in those environments.  We are joined here by the 2024 prize winners, PhD students Line Maj Sternberg and Nicklas Stott Venzel who nominated their Research Unit in Psychology of Sport, Excellence and Health at the University of Southern Denmark. They share what makes their environment great, and how the group translates their research on what makes a great sports environment into what makes a great research environment. In particular, they talk about encouragement for taking initiative, a focus on long-term development, open communication, psychological safety, promoting mental health, and a sense of belonging, as key factors. Nina also reflects on the common themes that the awarding panel has seen across over a hundred nominations, such as belonging, collaboration, creative practices, and celebrating both successes and failures.Overview:00:34 Episode Introduction03:26 Meet the guests06:44 The Danish Young Academy and the Research Environment Prize11:51 Line and Nicklas on applying sports research to academia18:38 Building trust and open communication22:34 Support for long term development and wellbeing25:55 Psychological safety in research26:55 Creative methods for sensitive topics29:56 Common themes from nominated research environments34:47 More examples of good practices38:41 Having clear values44:03 Learning from failures, celebrating successes45:56 Value of good research culture for scientific integrity49:51 Wrapping up, final thoughts53:48 EndRelated links:SDU Prize announcement Prize announcement by the Young Academy on LinkedInLinkedIn profiles for Nina and Line

In this solo episode (S6 E3) I invite us to rethink the concept of networking within academia, inspired by what the late Liam Bannon shared with us in our recent conversation and the evident relational impact he had on people. I encourage us, myself included, to view networking as being about the other person, not about us, and see it as an opportunity for forming meaningful impactful social connections. I offer some practical ideas for making networking about giving and helping others, based on the value of generosity, curiosity, and everyday interactions. In the end our real impact and success in academia are measured by the quality of relationships and the human connections we build, not by the titles or metrics we collect.Overview00:00 Introduction to Changing Academic Life00:29 The Challenges of Networking01:33 Rethinking Networking: Social Connections01:48 Tribute to Liam Bannon02:43 Personal Relations in Academic Careers03:44 The Importance of Human Connections10:16 Networking for Others10:50 Practical Networking Strategies17:17 Maintaining Connections21:38 Conclusion and Call to Action22:58 EndRelated links:Recent episode with Liam Bannon Gopinaath KannabiranAdam Grant, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania  

Update 22 Sept 2024: It is with deep sadness that I share Liam passed away this morning. May we honour his memory and his generosity in sharing his reflections by always reminding ourselves about what and who is really important.Liam Bannon is a Professor Emeritus and founder and director of the Interaction Design Centre at the University of Limerick in Ireland. In April 2024 I released a conversation with Liam Bannon recorded in 2017 about his career, ending with a hint about some health issues. This is a follow up conversation with Liam from Sept 2024 where he shares his profound reflections on life, health, and academia, amid dealing with terminal cancer. Recorded from his hospital bed, Liam shares his journey since his 2015 stage-four lung cancer diagnosis and subsequent health challenges, including a brain tumour. Emphasising the importance of appreciating life, paying attention to how and with whom we spend it, and maintaining meaningful relationships, Liam offers invaluable insights on managing career pressures, the costs of neglecting personal connections, and the significance of staying true to one's values. Despite audio quality issues, this deeply personal and reflective conversation is a poignant reminder to reassess our priorities and strive for a life balanced between professional aspirations and personal well-being, and prioritising relationships.Here is a pdf file of the transcript. There is also a transcript embedded with the audio that you can follow along with.Overview:00:29 Episode introduction07:25 Liam’s health journey12:11 Reflections on professional connections & relationships21:22 Being reflective about 25:37 Contributions & tradeoffs31:04 Asking what do you want to do with your life33:48 Prioritising people & relationships38:50 Taking stock, taking holidays, being true to yourself44:32 Wrapping up46:16 End

Introducing the new season of Changing Academic Life.Reflecting on my recent transitions. And thanks to the HCI group for support.

In this short solo episode a share a simple yet powerful technique, S.T.O.P., for taking a purposeful pause throughout your every day. Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed.00:29 Motivating STOP01:50 What is STOP04:37 Using STOP11:19 Towards making STOP a habit13:58 End

Volkmar Pipek was a highly influential researcher from Uni of Siegen who sadly passed away in Jan 2024 after a long illness. This short episode draws from a written interview he gave to Mateusz Dolata on the occasion of his 2023 EUSSET-ISSI Lifetime Achievement Award. I read an extract where he shares his advice about becoming and being a researcher: Be curious. Be who you are. Be curious who you are. Wise advice for all of us.Read the full interview with Volkmar PipekInterview conducted by Mateusz Dolata, University of Zurich Text accompanying the EUSSET-ISSI Lifetime Achievement Award 2023 to Volkmar PipekEUSSET: European Society for Socially Embedded Technologies ISSI: Institute for Social Informatics Volkmar Pipek, University of Siegen and Volkmar’s publications

Liam Bannon is a Professor Emeritus and founder and director of the Interaction Design Centre at the University of Limerick in Ireland.Liam has been a hugely influential thinker writer and researcher since the 1980s, along with various collaborators, in shaping work around technology and design.   Recorded in-person in 2017, he reflects on his interdisciplinary journey and contributions, covering areas such as AI, HCI, CSCW, human-centered design, and collaboration. Liam’s experiences exemplify the challenges and rewards of crafting a unique academic career largely outside the box, grounded in interdisciplinary collaboration and a commitment to improving human-technology interactions, while also highlighting the importance of personal fulfilment and being able to think broadly.Related Links:Liam at the Interaction Design Centre, Uni of LimerickSome of the people & papers he mentions:George Miller Zenon Pylyshyn, (1973). What the mind's eye tells the mind's brain: A critique of mental imagery. Psychological Bulletin, 80(1), 1–24. H. Rudy Ramsey and Michael E Attwood (1979) Human Factors in Computer Systems: A Review of the Literature, Technical Report SAI-79-111DENJames Jenkins, Uni of MinnesotaDon Norman, Human Centered Design, UCSD. See also  https://jnd.orgKjeld Schmidt Lucy SuchmanRob Kling Center for Social Informatics Susanne Bødker, Aarhus Uni; see also our 2023 podcast conversationMike Cooley, Engineer Lucas AerospaceTerry Winograd and Fernando Flores, Understanding Computers and Cognition, A New Foundation for Design, 1987, Addison-Wesley.Bannon, L. & Bødker, S. (1991) Beyond the Interface: Encountering Artifacts in Use. Book Chapter in J.M. Carroll (Ed.) (1991) Designing Interaction: Psychology at the Human-Computer Interface, pp.227-253. (New York: Cambridge University Press) (See also an earlier version)Bud Mehan, UCSD  Pelle Ehn, Morten Kyng and Participatory Design e.g., see this paper Rank Xerox Cambridge EuroPARC e.g., see overview articles 'What is EuroPARC?' and 'Rank Xerox Cambridge EuroPARC'Liam J. Bannon (2006) Forgetting as a feature, not a bug: the duality of memory and implications for ubiquitous computing, CoDesign, 2:1, 3-15Liam J. Bannon (2012) InteractionsSchmidt, K., Bannon, L., Four characters in search of a contextSchmidt, K., Bannon, L. Taking CSCW seriously. Comput Supported Coop Work 1, 7–40 (1992). The Google Scholar listing of all of Liam’s publications

Jean Paul is a senior scientist at the Medical University of Innsbruck. In part 2 of our conversation, Jean discusses her experience leading an impact-led transcdisciplinary research project focused on supporting families with mental health issues. She highlights the challenges of stakeholder engagement, distributed team management, and transdisciplinary research. Jean emphasizes the importance of community engagement, virtual team collaboration, and fostering diversity in academia. She also reflects on the skills she brings to this role and the importance of investing in the team set up from the very beginning.Overview[00:29] Introducing Part 2[02:23] Recap from Part 1[07:27] Working with stakeholders[13:35] Leading a distributed international interdisciplinay project team[14:59] Learning leadership from diverse experiences[18:25] The transferrable skills – listening and learning[20:04] Supporting diverse career paths[25:16] Insights for parents in academia[29:22] Leadership, organisational design and virtual team management[34:33] Making virtual collaboration work[39:08] Future directions and reflections[41:57] EndRelated links:Ludwig Boltzmann Institute/GesellschaftThe sandpit-funded project – The Village ProjectThe Healthy Minds projectDr Ghislaine Caulat – consultant on virtual leadership development Simon Martin – consultant for their organisational design in a transdisciplinary project with stakeholder involvement Project Design principles:The design principles that came out of the oganisational design workshops:Effectively coordinate and involve a wide (but manageable!) network of stakeholdersBe clear on expectations, results and deliverables within the teamKeep momentum, trust and energy going across the project timeline for the core team and wider stakeholdersMake sure that the perspectives of people with lived experience are heard clearly throughout the project (capturing the voices of people impacted by perinatal mental illness and those who are treating and working with the affected person and their families)Enact high ethical standards in our research (especially when listening to personal stories of mental illness and challenges)Demonstrate the value of interdisciplinary research partnerships with stakeholders, and challenge the landscape of traditional research and methodsEffectively lobby and influence (local and national policy makers), and raise awareness in society / politics through making our topics and results visible.