Communication in this lab is guided by three principles: communicate early, communicate clearly, and assume good intent. Most expectations below follow from these principles.
Expectations
Christina’s expectations from you
- Raise questions and problems early, rather than waiting until a deadline is close.
- Share drafts early if you’d like feedback. Incomplete work is far easier to improve than a polished draft submitted the night before.
- Keep Christina posted when priorities or timelines change.
- Bring a proposed solution when you can. It doesn’t have to be the right one; thinking through options usually leads to a more productive discussion.
- Reply promptly during the work day. Christina answers email quickly and appreciates the same, though she knows people work differently, so reply when you can. If you need more time, a brief acknowledgment is always welcome.
- Protect off-hours. Avoid non-urgent email or Slack outside the work day or on weekends unless agreed in advance.
- Loop in Christina on external contacts. Discuss in advance and cc her the first time you contact someone outside the lab on its behalf.
- Share your communication needs. If something here doesn’t fit yours, tell Christina and we can look at compromises.
Give co-authors time to review. Christina and your co-authors need enough lead time to give a manuscript or abstract meaningful feedback. If work arrives too late for co-authors to review it meaningfully, the lab may defer the submission or conference presentation so it gets the review it needs. This protects the quality of the work and everyone whose name is on it. When you give reasonable notice, Christina commits to the same in return.
What you can expect from Christina
- Weekly meetings. Graduate researchers have a weekly one-on-one in addition to lab meetings.
- Prompt replies. Christina typically acknowledges your email within one to two days.
- Timely, specific feedback. She responds substantively when you share work with reasonable lead time.
- Respect for your off-hours. She protects your time and models sustainable boundaries.
- Transparency about funding and plans. You should never feel unsure about your funding; ask as needed.
- A growth mindset. Running a lab and mentoring are a learning process; Christina does not consider herself a master of it and stays open to improving.
- Support and guidance. Technical and non-technical alike; everyone is welcome to bring issues to Christina.
How to engage with peers
- Ask others how they prefer to communicate. We tend to use Slack for direct messages and topic-specific discussions.
- Be direct and kind. No one can read minds. If you need something, say so respectfully.
- Assume good intent. You may not know what someone else is dealing with, so approach disagreements with curiosity before judgment.
- Keep official communication professional. Write messages you would be comfortable having forwarded to collaborators, funders, or future colleagues.
- Resolve conflict among yourselves first. Loop in Christina if further mediation is needed.
- Undergraduates should be supported by senior members. Academia can be intimidating at first. Please support our early-career members; see Mentoring.
Picking the right channel
| You need | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A quick or urgent reply | Slack | Best for short, time-sensitive questions. Keep each thread to one topic so it stays easy to follow. |
| A longer or detailed reply | Use a numbered list when you’re asking for several things, and flag any deadline with its date and time. Christina acknowledges within one to two days with an action plan. | |
| A meeting | when2meet | Send a few time options and say whether you need 30 or 60 minutes. |
| To share documents | Send documents over email so there is a clear written record, rather than only over Slack. |
In an emergency, call 911 (if appropriate) and Christina directly. If she doesn’t pick up, please leave a message or send a text with the details. (Members have her number; contact info is in the member portal.)
Giving and receiving feedback
Feedback, especially constructive feedback, can be uncomfortable, but accepting and learning from it is a vital part of good science. It is about the work, not the person, and giving and receiving it well is a skill everyone here is expected to practice.
Giving feedback
- Make sure the recipient is ready for it; if unsure, ask.
- Balance warm and cool feedback: name strengths as well as areas to improve.
- Focus on the work, not the person. Be specific; avoid a vague “nice job!”.
- Be timely, but when feedback is mostly critical, take time to plan how you deliver it.
- Follow up. Feedback is an ongoing process, so acknowledge the positive changes you see.
Receiving feedback
- Assume the feedback is offered in good faith and meant to help.
- Listen attentively and make sure you understand it, even if you disagree.
- Ask clarifying questions.
- Reflect. You’re not obligated to act on all feedback. If you disagree, consider a second opinion. However, feedback related to safety, lab policy, or technical decisions that affect the quality or integrity of the research is not optional.
- Follow up to get multiple rounds where possible.
Further reading: 3 simple frameworks to give effective feedback · Receiving and giving effective feedback (Waterloo) · How to give feedback (MIT)
Resolving conflict
Tips for constructive resolution:
- Raise issues early. Silence can lead to escalation or resentment.
- Define the conflict. Is it structural, a communication breakdown, or a clash of expectations?
- Manage your emotions first. Collect your thoughts before confronting an issue.
- Acknowledge your part. Even when you believe you’re mostly right, reflecting on your own contribution can make it easier to find common ground.
- Listen actively. Reflect back what you heard before responding. Aim to understand what someone meant, not just the exact words they used.
- Ask for help. Reach out to Christina or a neutral third party mediator if a problem is feeling overwhelming or unresolved.
“I” statements. A useful frame: “I feel ___ when (you) ___ because ___. What I’m hoping we might try is ___.” Identify your feelings, their cause, the context for why, and the need or ideal you’d like to work toward, adapted to your own voice and culture.
Further reading: Resolving conflict constructively (OSU) · MindTools: conflict resolution · Tips & tools for constructive conflict resolution (Michigan OSCR)
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