The Art of Good Communication

Abstract

Is poor communication with your supervisor getting in the way of your progress in the lab? Perhaps you’ve reached an impasse in your research and can’t see a way through. Or maybe it seems that – from your supervisor’s point of view – nothing you do is good enough. If you and your supervisor have different expec- tations of your output, and the two of you haven’t spoken in months, then a lack of communication is surely holding you back. Once settled into their projects, many graduate students are left to work things out on their own. That’s as it should be, to a certain extent, asmuch of graduate training is focused on having you develop the ability to meet problems head on and solve them on you our own. But your supervisor must ultimately approve your thesis, so keeping the lines of communication open is crucial. Don’t wait until you get into serious problems before knock- ing on your supervisor’s door. Even if your supervisor keeps her distance, as a seasoned researcher, she should be able to pro- vide appropriate guidance, and, one hopes, a neutral perspective. Even if you feel that your supervisor tends to place his or her interests above your own, initiating communication on a regular basis will give you the opportunity to voice your concerns.