Lab meetings shouldn’t feel intimidating. Here’s how I’ve changed mine

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'My greatest wish is to see my trainees become their best selves … and reach their career goals.' NationalMentoringMonth

At the start of our lab meeting, I did something unconventional: I read my students a poem. “As you set out for Ithaka; hope your road is a long one; full of adventure, full of discovery,” begins “Ithaka” by the Greek poet Constantine Cavafy. Then I asked what the words meant to them. We discussed how the journey in the poem is a metaphor for the human journey through life.

Years earlier, I’d been a trainee myself in a lab that held anxiety-inducing meetings. The lab head would spend the bulk of the time grilling the presenter with a series of pointed questions. Presenters would need to know minute details about articles they were citing and present their research using picture-perfect analyses and graphs.

I tried to create a more collegial environment when I started my own lab: I made a point of being friendly and welcoming while asking my trainees challenging questions about their science. But 6 years into my stint as lab head, I felt I hadn’t created the lab environment I wanted.Georgia FousteriA turning point came during the pandemic. It hit home to me that my life span isn’t endless and that I need to make the most of the time I have. The isolation also gave me time for reflection.

From then on, I have led a 20-minute team building session at the start of every lab meeting. My lab members and I play parts in inspirational scripts, practice meditation, or do some other activity—including discussing poetry. These sessions have eased tensions and opened minds, helping foster more participation later in the meeting.

 

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wtf is a “lab meeting”, and wtf does greek poetry have to do with science? Science magazine has gone full woke!

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