Interested in our workshops? Please read this.
All of our workshops are sponsored by client organizations for their employees, staff or affiliates. They are typically held on-site at the client’s organization or via Zoom. If you are interested in hosting one or more of our workshops for your organization please contact us here.
Our workshops typically need to be booked four to six months in advance. Book early to guarantee that you will get the dates you want.
What do scientists who take our workshops say?
Out of 100 scientists who took our "Negotiation" workshop (Workshop 1) recently, 98 said that the skills they learned will be "very" or "extremely" useful in their daily work; 94 of 100 said that they would "recommend" or"strongly recommend" that their co-workers take the workshop.
Out of 100 scientists who took the "Leading scientific team and project meetings"workshop (Workshop 2) recently, 99 said that the skills learned in the workshop wold be "very" or "extremely" useful in their jobs; 98 out of 100 said that they would be "very" or "extremely" likely to recommend the workshop to their co-workers.
About our workshops
Our workshops enable scientists to become better collaborators, managers and leaders. They help scientists improve their emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills using interactive team exercises and role playing. Scientists leave our workshops with practical tools that they will put to immediate use to the benefit of themselves, their teams and their organizations.
All of our workshops are available to be run on-site at your institution or online via the Zoom meetings app. Read about our Zoom workshops here or contact us for details.
Our workshops are based upon the book “Lab Dynamics: Management and Leadership Skills for Scientists.” by Carl M Cohen, Ph.D. and Suzanne L. Cohen, Ed.D. These are not "generic" workshops - they are specifically designed for working scientists, managers and leaders by a scientist. The case studies and examples used in the workshops are taken from the world of science and address situations and interactions that scientists face every day. Using a pragmatic, solution focused approach, the workshops show scientists how to become more effective in their jobs.
All of our workshops can be modified or customized to meet specific client needs. Past customizations have included a focus on scientists in the pharmaceutical industry and on scientists in academic or governmental research institutes. Workshops can also be targeted to scientists at different stages of advancement, e.g. graduate students, post-docs, faculty, team leaders, project managers and senior leadership.
Click here to see a table listing all of our workshops and the target audience for each.
1. Difficult conversations in the research workplace: Fundamentals of negotiation
Also called: NEGOTIATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION FOR SCIENTISTS
A workshop for scientists, researchers and research managers
This is our core workshop and is usually considered to be a pre-requisite for all of our other workshops.
Is learning negotiation important? Here is a quote from a Sigma Xi study of post-doc productivity (sample size was 8500):
"Training in negotiation skills is associated with a 19% increase in the rate of paper submissions. Negotiation skills may help postdocs to obtain resources needed for their research, as 50% of those reporting negotiation skills training are completely satisfied with the funds available for research and travel, compared
with 39% of those without such training."
So much of what takes place every day in the lab or in science team meetings involves resolving differences of opinion or accommodating multiple viewpoints in complex scientific discussions. Often such discussions engender strong emotions, leading the participants to engage in counterproductive behaviors. At times the scientific discussion can get derailed by emotion laden interchanges, and projects can be hampered or even halted.
2. Leading Scientific team and project Meetings
A workshop for science and research managers, team leaders and executives
When team or project meetings are run well they can be an invaluable tool for communicating information and making decisions in the science workplace. When run poorly they can be a source of frustration. In this solution-focused half day workshop you will learn and practice the key elements of running productive and interactive team or project meetings in the science workplace.
3. Hiring and retaining your science team: Interviewing, selecting and orienting scientists, technical staff and managers.
One of the most challenging aspects of running a lab or department is the hiring of new post-docs, professional staff and technical personnel. So many times this is a process that is guided mostly by our “gut” feeling of who is the right candidate. And so many times we end up regretting decisions made in this way. Since hiring decisions have such a profound effect on productivity and scientific advancement, it makes sense that we should use discipline and methodology to guide our intuition.
In this workshop, you will learn how to organize the selection and hiring process so that you get the data you need to make an informed hiring decision. You will learn why over reliance on selecting for technical skills and qualifications can lead you to make poor hiring decisions. You will learn and practice using a simple question-based approach to assessing a candidate’s all-important “personal characteristics,” such as their ability to hear and use feedback, their ability to manage setbacks and adversity, and their ability to manage disagreements and conflict. You will receive instruction on and practice in how to conduct candidate phone screens, and face-to-face interviews; and on how to ‘listen between the lines’ during phone reference checks so that you can accurately evaluate both technical skills and personal characteristics. Finally, you will learn how to make sure you retain good people once you hire them.
In combination with our popular workshop “Managing your science team: Feedback, goal setting and performance review for scientists” these workshops provide a comprehensive “boot camp” for scientists at all levels of advancement on how to attract, motivate and retain the best scientific staff possible.
4. MANAGING YOUR SCIENCE TEAM: SETTING GOALS, GIVING FEEDBACK AND performance review for SCIENTISTS
A workshop for science and research managers, team leaders and executives
______________________________________________________Pharmaceutical and Biotech Clients: We have versions of this workshop specifically tailored to your needs. These include special topics such topics as:
Building and managing project teams.
The challenges and opportunities of matrix management.
Understanding motivation.
Contact us for details.
_______________________________________________
Setting goals and giving feedback can be powerful tools for keeping scientists focused and motivated. Scientists at all levels want and need to hear how they’re doing from their mentors, managers or leaders. In this highly interactive half day workshop you will learn and practice how to set meaningful goals for scientists, how to give effective and useful feedback and how to conduct performance reviews that help keep projects and people on track.
4A. Mentoring and managing your science team: Setting goals, giving feedback and creating individual development plans.
A workshop for science managers and supervisors
Funding agencies are increasingly requiring that scientists in management or leadership positions receive training in mentoring graduate students, postdocs and other types of trainees. Like being a good manager, being a good mentor requires time and effort on the part of scientists in management positions. But the payoff is significant – well mentored trainees are motivated and productive and can contribute significantly to the productivity of a research group. This workshop is adapted from our Workshop 4 (Managing your science team) and expands upon it by introducing tools that are critical for creating and maintaining good mentoring relationships. The workshop uses team-based discussion, group exercises and role playing to enable participants to practice behaviors associated with excellent mentoring.
5. A day OF LAB DYNAMICS
A one-day workshop in essential skills for science managers and leaders
This is a highly interactive two-part workshop based upon Dr Cohen’s popular book “Lab Dynamics: Management and Leadership Skills for Scientists.” The first session consists of a condensed version of our full day Workshop 1, "Difficult conversations in the research workplace: Fundamentals of negotiation" and the second session is either Workshop 2, "Leading scientific team and project meetings" or Workshop 3, "Managing your science team:Setting goals, giving feedback and evaluating scientists." This is not a generic workshop – it is specifically focused on interactions which scientists have every day — discussing data, negotiating budgets or project plans, receiving and giving scientific criticism and dealing with interpersonal conflicts in the lab.
6. Leading Pharmaceutical Project Teams
A workshop for science and research managers, team leaders and executives in the pharmaceutical industry
Project teams are powerful tools for accomplishing tasks requiring interdisciplinary input. Yet they are also a source of frustration when not managed properly. It is becoming increasingly clear that managing a project in a matrix-based organization requires more than just project management skills, it requires a high degree of emotional intelligence. This is a solution-focused workshop that expands upon the workshop "Leading Science Meetings."
7. Speaking of science: presenting your science and yourself. Speaking and presentation skills for scientists
A workshop for scientists
Speaking to an audience about your research or your lab is about more than the slides you show and the data you present. It is also, and at times, primarily, about how you come across to the audience—do you seem nervous or relaxed, are you looking at your audience or at your notes? How you come across can be just as important as what you say.
8. The front lines of science: Management and leadership challenges in the science workplace. A peer learning workshop
Basic or introductory management workshops are just the ticket for early or mid-career scientists. More senior people benefit from peer learning where experiences and insights can be shared and brought to bear on common problems and challenges. Looking for a new learning experience for your seasoned scientific team leaders and managers? Look no further.
9: Best Foot Forward, Part 1: Interviewing Skills for Postdocs
Whether you are looking for a position in academia or at a biotech company, at some point in the process you’re going to be sitting across from someone asking you questions about yourself and your work. How you answer those questions and how you come across during the interview process will have as much and likely more influence on the hiring decision than your research or publication history. Going into a job interview believing that your resume and publications speak for themselves is a recipe for disappointment.
10. Best foot forward, Part 2: Negotiating a job offer.
This new workshop is specifically for postdocs seeking a faculty position in academia or a scientific position in industry. The workshop demystifies the process of negotiating a job offer and uses role playing exercises to show participants how to negotiate an offer that gives them the best chance at success in their new position.
11. Best Foot Forward Part 3: How to give a great job talk
Do you know the crucial difference between a job talk and a research seminar? And even if you do know the difference will your job talk be a help or a hindrance to your candidacy?
Giving a job talk is about far more than the slides you show and the data you present. Many scientists mistakenly believe that all they need to do is present stellar research results to clinch a job offer. In doing so they forget the cardinal rule of recruiting— people hire people, not research projects. How you present yourself and your information is every bit as important, and sometimes more important, than what you’re presenting. If you fail to come across as collegial, responsive to questions and interested in what others in the department or company are up to you may as well not give a talk at all.
12. management skills for scientists: OUR MOST POPULAR four-part "crash course" for scientists and science leaders.
This is a four-part workshop incorporating the most popular elements of workshops 1, 2, 3 and 4 above. This series provides a comprehensive experiential learning experience for scientists, and existing or emerging managers and leaders.
Session 1. Difficult conversations in the research workplace: Fundamentals of negotiation
Session 2. Leading scientific team and project meetings
Session 3. Hiring and retaining your science team: Interviewing, selecting and orienting scientists, technical staff and managers.
Session 4. Managing your science team: Setting goals, giving feedback and evaluating scientists.
13. Leadership For Scientists
A workshop for scientists making the transition into management or leadership positions
This is a highly interactive on-site two and a half to three day workshop in which participants learn and develop the skills to lead and interact effectively with others in the scientific workplace. This workshop is modeled after the Cold Spring Harbor Leadership in Bioscience workshop that Dr Cohen has run since 2011. These workshops are highly interactive, utilizing role playing, and team exercises. The workshop focuses on techniques, situations and challenges that relate specifically to leading and managing in the scientific workplace. It is appropriate for scientists in both the academic and private sectors.
14. Just for Postdocs: The skills you need to jump start your career in science.
This is a six-part comprehensive sequence to prepare your postdocs for making the transition to a successful career in academia or industry. The sequence consists of six highly interactive workshops that will give postdocs the skills they need to get the job they want and to become productive scientists, managers and leaders.
15. Sexual Harassment in the Science Workplace: What You Need to Know.
Created by popular demand, this half-day workshop uses a highly interactive approach to cover one of the most important topics in science today. As with all our workshops for scientists, this is not a generic workshop on harassment. It uses real cases and examples that have been reported to or shared with us by working scientists to illustrate key learnings and to engage the participants.
One hour online workshops
16. Keeping your remote team on track: Managing people and running online meetings in the Covid-19 era.
The abrupt transition to remote working necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic has forced managers to create new ways of working with their teams. Leading a team remotely can be challenging for managers who are used to frequent face to face interactions. Working remotely can be even more challenging to scientists whose work may be stopped or slowed down and who find it difficult to get the input and guidance they need from their managers.
This workshop will show you how to address each of these common remote-working problems.
17. Managing stress and work-life balance in the era of Covid-19
A one hour Zoom workshop for everyone
The unprecedented disruption in how we work and interact caused by the Covid-19 pandemic continues to have profound consequences. In addition to changes in our long established work routines are the attendant social and psychological stresses of managing new ways of interacting and working.
In this online interactive workshop we will: •Identify stresses associated with our new remote work life. •Review tools to help manage these stresses. •Help you choose and apply the tools that work for you.
What our workshop participants say
“Useful because this workshop was 100% focused on scientists. Everything was related to scientists and their environment.”
“Absolutely useful! Gave me a lot to think about regarding my communication and leadership styles. I think Carl’s tips will benefit me both personally and professionally.”
“The workshop was put together extremely well - insightful, clear and concise. The role playing exercises were..a great way to keep the audience involved.”
Interested in any of our workshops? Get in touch to learn more or to sign up.