Last month was the first time we hosted our new Systems Thinking training for cross-disciplinary PhD students, supporting PhD students to proactively design their research workflows for less stress and improved productivity.
The workshop was designed interactively and we were pleased that the attendees took this to heart! Often, the best systems require out-of-the-box thinking, circumventing an issue rather than addressing a problem head-on. Being so closely involved in our own work can make this challenging, which is why this training champions group ideation to shed new light on entrenched work habits!
Here’s the framework we discussed:
Identify something you find frustrating or dislike about your research workflows (boring admin activity, anyone?)
Consider how this frustration can be improved, e.g., using software to automate it, time-blocking similar tasks together, creating a template for repetitive tasks.
The best case scenario: eliminate this task completely! It is NOT a requirement for my desired research output.
Establish an external mind so you can go on leave and not worry about the stress of returning to work – you have systems in place.
Have you taken a step back recently to evaluate your workflows? We recommend grabbing a few colleagues over coffee to creatively brainstorm your way out of frustrating bottlenecks!
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