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A recent survey of PhDs found that many researchers feel that they lack formal training in a variety of transferable skills. At Addgene we've set out to fill this gap by both highlighting that researchers do learn MANY transferable skills while working in the lab and by offering advice on areas where you might need some help. Today in our transferable skills guide: managing a team.

You’ve just been promoted, congratulations! You’re now a manager with your own team! But what does it really mean to manage a team?

If your graduate school experience was anything like mine you didn’t think much about management skills during your scientific training. I never thought about management skills before being propelled into the position of manager. I barely had any experience being managed! The good news is that management skills can be taught, but it will take time so be patient and keep an open mind.

Crystal Shih is an Investigator III at Novartis, a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Switzerland. After completing her PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering with Harry Gray at Caltech, Crystal moved on to a Postdoc in the chemistry department at MIT. Crystal now works on protein therapeutics at Novartis - listen to learn more about Crystal’s exciting career path, to gain insight into industry research, and to get advice on how to succeed in your own career. One pro tip from Crystal - be agile and willing to move on to new projects when old ones prove unsuccessful.

This is the fifth in a 5 part series on Management for scientists. Subscribe to the Addgene Career Advice Posts here.

We are inundated with articles and books on the topic of leadership. Perhaps one of your advisors or mentors has urged you to work on developing your “leadership skills”. Leadership is prized at all levels of an organization and is also one of the most common criteria required for a promotion. Yet little explanation is given for how someone can or should demonstrate this quality.  

I am often asked to give career seminars on Leadership Skills. After attempting to put together such a presentation many times, I could never actually figure out what skills were really leader-specific. How is leadership different from good management? Aren't all career skills leaderhsip skills when done well? Do you just have to know it when you see it?

Check out Joanne's Reddit AMA

This is the fourth in a 5 part series on Management for scientists. Subscribe to the Addgene Career Advice Posts here.

Once you are responsible for managing others you will only be successful in your role if you become a master at delegating tasks and responsibilities. The manager is not expected to DO all the work – she is expected to make sure the work gets done and done well. Involving your team effectively is now your new measure of success. It is imperative that you resist the temptation to “just do it myself” or micromanage –you don’t have time for that and you won’t be as productive. For example, the many resources avaliable on the Addgene website didn't come into being through the actions of a single person but hrough the coordinated efforts of many individuals.

Check out Joanne's Reddit AMA

This is the third in a 5 part series on Management for scientists. Subscribe to the Addgene Career Advice Posts here.

Feedback is help and it should result in authentic assistance for the recipient to become more effective and successful. Giving timely and useful feedback is an absolutely required aspect of being a successful manager. Great bosses tell people where they stand clearly and routinely. They are clear with each employee about what they do well and where they need to improve, and they’re also clear about how the person is doing overall. Employees hate to wonder what you think of their work.

 Check out Joanne's Reddit AMA