Now that CNSPY has successfully moved to its new web home, the CNSPY Blog is back! Over the next few weeks guest blogger, Dianna Bartel, will be addressing the topic of good writing in a focused Summer Series. Below is the introductory post and a preview of what’s to come in the following weeks! Here’s Dianna:

Good Writing – What’s the point?

The fate of our careers hinges as much on good writing as it does on good data. After all, even the most promising discovery doesn’t mean much if it is not published. And without sound writing, we stand little chance of publishing our work, obtaining those cherished grant dollars, and landing one of those oh-so-sought-after academic jobs. And therein lies the vital need for good writing – to get published, funded, and hired.

The reality remains that publications are the currency of academic science. Even for those who are not marching down the traditional academic course to becoming a PI and vying for those precious grant dollars, publications still serve as a measure of output.

So in the words of a renowned Harvard scientist and incredibly prolific author with one of the highest Hirsch index ratings of all living chemists:

“If your research does not generate papers, it might just as well not have been done” – George M. Whitesides, Ph.D.

So…

Where to start?

As in any profession, the success of writing is determined by whether or not our readers understand what we are trying to say. No one intentionally sets out to write unclearly, so it is not surprising that our own writing is clear to us – we already know and comprehend the material so it seems obvious to us (see our previous discussion on the Curse of Knowledge). Therefore, we need to write with the reader in mind.

We usually do not know our most influential readers (i.e. reviewers!), and they will vary with each publication and/or grant, but it’s generally safe to assume that there will be scientists with a range of expertise related to our work as well as those from different disciplines. Hence, we cannot jump into jargon-laden prose and assume everyone, or anyone, will understand. Another point to bear in mind is that English is not the first language for the majority of scientists. Such diversity places all the more need for crisp and clear writing.

The bottom line: the burden of clarity rests on us as authors. Our amazing results cannot speak for themselves, and alone they will do us little good; they need to be communicated well. And as astutely noted by Yale’s distinguished authority on scientific communications:

“Good science does not excuse poor writing.” – Angelika H. Hofmann, Ph.D.

Some principles of good scientific writing

Effective writing is a difficult and time-consuming activity that few people are naturally good at; even the most accomplished and published professors and scientists work hard to refine their scientific prose. Many books, blogs, classes, lectures, etc. emphasize the importance of this undertaking. Such an assortment of materials also highlights the fact that there are various techniques and methods to achieve good writing, yet there are basic hallmarks of good writing that are echoed throughout these resources, some of which follow below.

1. Always keep the reader in mind – We have established that this is the critical starting point. It is also THE central tenet of good writing. Whether or not our readers understand our writing determines the success of our writing. Period.

2. Good writing stems from good thinking – But wait, didn’t we just say that if we already know and understand the material, that’s why our own writing is so clear to us? Absolutely, but remember that we are not writing for ourselves. From our readers’ view, things may not be so clear. Maybe we are assuming some underlying knowledge of a topic – often we do not even realize the assumptions we’ve made. Or perhaps we have failed to make a clear transition and connection between ideas. By improving our thinking on a topic, especially in terms of what our readers may or may not know, we will improve our writing about the topic.

3. Conversely, the process of writing usually helps writers improve their thinking – Considering our target readers while writing will help us identify points that will not be clear to others, which inevitably pushes us to think more about the topic. And of course, it is supremely useful to have more distant colleagues (i.e. someone outside of the lab and even outside of our field) read and provide feedback as to how well they grasped our ideas.

4. What matters most about the first draft is that it gets done – It can be easy to get bogged down trying to perfect that first draft, but the draft serves as the starting point. It’s the foundation upon which we will construct and build our ideas into a coherent structure. As if we were building a house, our draft provides the solid base to elevate solid supports and raise the roof. With a solid framework in place, we can then attend to the finer details that we really want our audience to notice.

So the draft provides the blueprint for our writing, as well as for others who are involved. And it will absolutely be flushed out, refined, improved, tweaked, and then flushed out and refined again. As difficult as it can be to have our drafts returned to us with a sea of tracked changes, we shouldn’t feel as though we have failed at writing. In fact, we have embarked on the final crucial hallmark of good writing in the last point…

5. Good writing is the product of good rewriting – This is the other crux of good writing. Together with the first, these two points bookend and more-or-less relate to all principles of good writing. It is far easier to edit and clarify existing work than it is to create something from a blank canvas – this is why it’s important to simply construct a draft without trying to make it perfect the first time around. Rely on editing and rewriting to polish your writing.

And again, this is central to writing in any field. Ernest Hemingway rewrote the final page of Farewell to Arms thirty-nine times before he was satisfied. Regardless that most of us are not destined for Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes in literature, this principle is steadfast among writers of all walks. And scientific writing, like any other professional writing, undergoes rounds of re-writing, perhaps all the more so when we are working with co-authors.

Ok, now that we’ve set stage we hope you’ll come back in the coming weeks when we dive into some more practical points of writing, like how to avoid zombies – really!

** Let us know what you think about the point of good writing! **

Share your thoughts below by clicking the “Leave a Reply” link or by clicking the chat bubble in the top right of the post.

As a follow-up to the most recent Career-in-Focus spotlight in the CNSPY Newsletter on careers in Research and Development (R&D) in Industry, this week we’re presenting five common questions you can expect to receive in an interview for an R&D position and how to answer them.

First and foremost, you should ALWAYS prepare for interviews. Job interviews are definitely not the place to “wing it” and hope for the best. For each interview, you should familiarize yourself with the company and have great answers ready-to-go for the questions that are typically asked in interviews for a given field.

In this case, that field is R&D, and according to the Cheeky Scientist, an association dedicated to preparing graduate students and postdocs for a career in – and a transition to – Industry, these are the five most commonly asked questions in interviews for R&D positions; thus, it behooves you to prepare for them if Industry R&D is the route you’re thinking about pursuing.

1) Why are you a good scientist?

No one wants to be challenged on their merits, and logically, you would think that THEY already think you’re a good scientist if they invited you for a interview, but they will likely still ask you why you are good at what you do.

This type of question is often off-putting for interviewees because it’s probably not something you think about on a regular basis, but now is the time to come up with a good, solid answer and have it ready-to-go when this question pops up.

An example of a great answer to this question is, “I’m a good scientist because I think about WHERE and HOW my actions are going to end up in terms of achieving a goal that will ultimately help other people – and myself – in the long-term, not just fulfill my own personal short-term needs.” – Cheeky Scientist

Put the focus on the bigger picture. Avoid highlighting the details of how talented you are at certain techniques – those can always be learned.

What they would prefer to know is how those nitty gritty details translate into the bigger picture. All of those minor details have to fit together to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its individual parts in order for a project to succeed, so think ‘big’ to answer this question. Doing so will make you sound more worldly and well-rounded.

2) Are you an ethical scientist?

Just as no one likes to be challenged on their technical merit (above), no one wants to be confronted about their ethical practices either, but it’s an important matter and sometimes interviewers ask this question in order to gauge how uncomfortable it makes you – as the level of discomfort can sometimes indicate your true feelings and hint at whether or not you’re lying.

As sly and conniving as it may be, this type of inadvertent accusation is bound to make anyone uncomfortable, even if you are a completely honest person! This is why it’s imperative to prepare yourself for the interview – especially for the uncomfortable and odd questions that may come up.

The Cheeky Scientist advises you to fixate your focus/gaze on the interviewer when answering this question. Darting eyes that shift nervously around the room suggests deceit, as it’s much easier to lie when you aren’t looking directly at the person who asked the question (for more on this topic, read point #10 on our previous blog post).

Look your interviewer straight in the eyes and, without hesitating, say something to the effect of, “Yes, I am. In fact, I often question my own results and perform experiments over and over again to first convince myself that what I am seeing is real before I even consider reporting those findings to my coworkers, my boss, or a broader audience. I always want to make absolutely certain that my work is reliable and reproducible before I publicize anything because – hey! – it’s MY name that’s on the line, too(!), not just my boss’s, my group’s, and my company’s name.”

Make it clear that you do (and WILL do) everything in your power to check and re-check your work to back up your word. And consider throwing in a comment towards the end referencing the idea that you would never throw yourself under the bus and ruin your own career. This will drive the message home, indicating that you are fully aware of the repercussions of unethical work, and it may even elicit a chuckle or at least a smile out of your interviewer, which could serve to lighten the air on such a heavy topic.

3) How do you handle pressure?

This question can pop up in any job interview, but in the context of R&D, it usually refers to time crunches. R&D is often a fast-paced environment in which every major company is desperately trying to stay ahead of their competitors. So interpret the question in terms of time constraints and the pressure to perform or work quickly to answer a pressing research question.

An example of a good answer would be, “There are different types and intensities of pressure but in general I handle it by staying logical, sticking with my plans while staying flexible, and managing my time better and better until I see the project through to the end.” – Cheeky Scientist

This answer, although simplistic, addresses a number of desired qualities:

(1) By mentioning that you particularly try to stay “logical,” this implies that you tend to remain calm, cool, and collected under pressure, instead of panicking and losing your sense of direction.

(2) Similarly, “sticking to the plan” suggests that, even in the heat of the moment, you can, again, remain calm and focused and stick to the original plan instead of abandoning it and going straight into panic mode.

(3) Moreover, the addition of “while also staying flexible” to the above clause suggests that you can adapt if need be. It shows that you recognize that the original plan is a good place to start, but that, in certain pressure situations, you understand the need to be flexible and try something unplanned if the climate calls for it.

(4) Lastly, “managing my time better and better until…” tells the interviewer that you will diligently work to better prioritize your day to achieve your research goals within a tighter timeline than initially planned if necessary. Demonstrating that you are already conscious of your time management skills is a great thing to highlight in the interview. Additionally, evidencing that you can, and will, adapt your time management skills shows a willingness to improve yourself and your efficiency on behalf of the company.

Thus, although the above answer is short and simple, it actually conveys a lot of positive, desired aspects of a prospective candidate. Provide a similar answer (as long as it’s true to your character!) and feel free to elaborate thereafter on any specific skills you want to highlight further.

4) If I gave you XYZ cells and asked you ABC questions, what experiments would you do?

If this doesn’t sound like a question from your committee in your qualifying exam, I don’t know what does! From day one, all of your graduate and postdoctoral training has prepared you for this type of question. Lean on your training to provide a sound answer based on logic, critical thinking, and practical ability.

No matter what the specific research question is, the best way to field this question is to start by saying something like, “I would first work to understand the background of the problem. I would check to see what has already been discovered before jumping in and making quick and erroneous conclusions. At the same time, I would try to see the problem from different, untried perspectives.” – Cheeky Scientist

This is a good place to start your answer, but it shouldn’t suffice as the entire answer. It’s always a good idea to put forth the notion of doing a background literature search first. Although this should be implied, it’s good to explicitly point it out to demonstrate that you wouldn’t just start trying things aimlessly without a defined direction.

After showing that you would take an educated approach to the problem, launch into a short discussion of your previous research and skillsets that you would lean on for inspiration in terms of addressing the new questions.

Finally, highlight that you will undoubtedly bring new ideas to the issue because it’s not something you work on regularly, and because of that, you’d be eager to try new things and come at the problem from a different angle.

5) What will you do if your experiments don’t work?

Seriously, whose experiments always work on the first try?!?!

Although this may seem like a silly question that warrants the obvious answer of, “try again and troubleshoot the problem,” they will likely ask you this question to see how you handle the troubleshooting aspects of science. After all, there will probably be many high-risk/high-reward projects in Industry R&D with no clear paths to success, and you’ll need to be able to navigate those tough roads ahead.

So, when presented with this question, offer an answer similar to the following statement: “As a scientist, I’m used to not getting straightforward results, and I would do what I have done in the past… I would troubleshoot the experiment and try looking at things from a variety of different angles. If, after a few additional failed attempts to address my research questions, I run out of ideas, I would then consult and collaborate with different departments to come up with new hypotheses and strategies to address the issue.” 

You can also add a comment such as, “If everything I touched turned to gold, I would have cured Parkinson’s by now!” – Cheeky Scientist

Adding this sort of joking comment at the end highlights that, as you mentioned, you are accustomed to dealing with failed experiments and how to rectify them. It’s clearly obvious that not many experiments work perfectly the first time around, so adding this touch of humor will let you – and the interviewer – laugh at the notion a little, thereby lightening the mood.

Finding ways to lighten the mood and add a jovial touch is always a plus in interviews. But be sure to address the main points of the question with a serious demeanor first! You don’t want the interviewers to think you are laughing this opportunity off as if it were nothing. Be formal and serious, but feel free to interject a little lightness here and there in a tasteful way.

Bonus Question!!!

Now here’s one for you to try…

This question comes to us from our CNSPY Newsletter Career-in-Focus featured scientist, Dr. Jared Davis, Associate Director of RNA Biochemistry at Alexion Pharmaceuticals in Cheshire, CT. He advised that everyone have a great answer to the following question…

Why do you want to transition to R&D in Industry from academia?

The answer to this question will be different for everyone, but knowing precisely why you want to make the transition is key. Whether it’s a passion for research in general, a desire to apply your skills to a new set of research questions (considering the difference between academic vs. industry-driven goals), a desire to leave academia for any reason, the need for a higher-paying position that allows you to continue doing benchwork, a lack of motivation to become a PI/move up the academic ladder, or anything else you can think of… just make sure you have a great reason for wanting to make the change, and be passionate about the reason. Have conviction in your answer.

Of course, all of these questions (and answers) can be adapted to fit any job interview, not just those for R&D positions, but these are the standard questions that you should certainly be prepared to answer.

Think about your responses and practice them. Practice delivering them and making sure your responses sound genuine and believable. Anyone can spout off the “right words,” but convincing the interviewer that these are your true feelings is another thing.

Good luck!

Source:  Cheeky Scientist

** Get prepared and let us know how your R&D interviews go! **

Share your thoughts below by clicking the “Leave a Reply” link or by clicking the chat bubble in the top right of the post.

Nobody’s life moves in a straight line. Instead, life is often a zig-zagging course of ups and downs and unexpected interruptions, many of which can temporarily derail your career.

Some examples of these life/career-interrupting events include having a child (or multiple children), needing to take a medical leave of absence (either to care for yourself or a loved one), experiencing a death in the family or a similarly traumatic event for which you need time to recover emotionally and/or physically, and many other situations…

In the sciences, particularly for the academic career track, these interruptions can be a major detriment because bumps and other life events along the way can give the impression that you are not a productive researcher.

For example, if two job candidates are applying for the same faculty position, but one has published 8 papers in 4 years (8-in-4yrs) and the other has published 8 papers in 8 years (8-in-8yrs), it’s a no-brainer in terms of figuring out who is the more desired candidate… on paper at least, based on simplified metrics.

However, what if the 8-in-4yrs candidate was pregnant with her first child at the time of the interview and the 8-in-8yrs candidate was a mother of four children under the age of six? Does that change things???

Considering that the mother of four took 6 months of maternity leave with each child, that automatically changes her 8-in-8yrs rate to 8-in-6yrs of full-time of work. Let’s take this a step further…

Let’s say the recommendation letters for the pregnant 8-in-4yrs candidate revealed that she was a very hard-worker, often staying until late in the evenings and working weekends to get her projects done. This indicates that her “4 years” may have really been more like “6+ years” of full-time work, given how much she worked beyond the 40-hr/week pay rate she was receiving. So, let’s say her current rate of work is really 8 papers in 6 years, or 8-in-6yrs…. Identical to the mother of four.

So who is the more desired candidate now? The expectant mother or the mother of four, both of whom have adjusted rates of 8-in-6yrs?

Odds are that the expectant mother’s working rate will inherently decrease once her new little bundle of joy arrives, however, it seems as though the mother of four has already figured out a way to juggle work and family responsibilities such that she is still incredibly productive in the lab even with her ever-present family obligations. SO… if you were the department chair, who would you hire? Who is actually more productive?

This example highlights why it is so important to acknowledge and highlight your career gaps. Whether it’s for maternity (or paternity) leave, a leave of absence for any reason, or a even a significantly traumatic event that may have affected your ability to focus at work even if you didn’t take any significant amount of time off from work to recover…

For example, I had a classmate in graduate school who went through a particularly difficult and nasty divorce, and for the better part of a year, she was a complete mess – she couldn’t focus in the lab, sat at her desk and cried nearly every day (all day!), and subsequently made zero progress on her thesis project that year. This type of hardship should be acknowledged, too.

Life happens… but you don’t have to suffer because of it as long as you are open and forthcoming about your gaps and significant periods of unproductivity. Acknowledging these hiccups in life “levels the playing field” so-to-speak between you and other job candidates.

A recent article in Science Careers highlights the benefits of acknowledging your career gaps…

Emily Nicholson had three children during her longer-than-usual postdoctoral fellowship(s), and when she applied for tenure-track positions, she received zero interviews (and therefore zero job offers) after following the typical metrics and strategies for CV-writing and application preparation.

She had listed her postdoctoral fellowship(s), the years she had been working there, and her publication record… However, with three major career interruptions, this approach made her appear very unproductive when all was said and done.

The following year, she revised her application packets… She calculated an adjusted productivity rate for herself, discussed these gaps openly in her cover letter, and subsequently received numerous requests for interviews and was able to secure a faculty position in her desired location!! Success!!

Here’s the full article in Science Careers with Emily’s tips on how to calculate and present these adjusted productivity rates in your job applications:

Early in my scientific career, I pursued research while remaining blissfully unaware of the difficulty of securing a permanent academic position, especially for women and mothers. I drifted happily through a Ph.D. and two postdocs abroad, guided by interesting science, people, and places—and a nonscientist husband with ideas about where he wanted to live. It wasn’t until I had been a postdoc for several years, with two children and a third on the way, that I recognized the need to adopt a sound strategic approach to securing a tenured faculty position, particularly given my career breaks.

For each of my three sons—born in 2009, 2011, and 2013—I took 8 months of maternity leave, and since then I’ve worked largely part-time and continue to do so. Counted over calendar years, these breaks make my track record look ordinary.

My early job applications—using a standard CV that mentioned my maternity leaves only in passing—reflected the apparent ordinariness of that track record: I didn’t get so much as an interview. Then, with mentoring and advice from colleagues and friends, I reshaped my CV to account for the time I’d spent raising my family. I put my career breaks front and center, and I reported my productivity metrics to account for my time away from work. Numbers of publications, citation rates, and grant income are used widely to assess and compare researchers, so I wanted to make sure I was judged fairly.

The result: My first application after I made the adjustments yielded a tenured position in the city we had already settled in. Reframing my track record undoubtedly helped. Here’s how I did it…

Get the data. First, I calculated how many years of full-time equivalent work I’ve done by tallying the time worked each month (e.g., 0% when on maternity leave, 60% when working part-time, and 100% when working full-time). Accounting for time off and part-time work, I’ve worked 5.6 full-time years during the 8.5 calendar years since I finished my Ph.D., the equivalent of 66% of full-time. Since my first child was born 6 years ago, I have worked the equivalent of 3.3 full-time years, or 55% of full-time. Next, I worked out how much I’d achieved each year in terms of publications, grants, student supervision, and so on.

Do the math. Rather than hoping the readers of my application would do the math on their own, I did it for them. I corrected the number of publications I had each year to account for my maternity leaves. For example, in the 6 years since my first son was born I had 23 publications—equivalent to about 42 publications if I had been working full-time. Similar corrections can be made to other common metrics: citations, grants, and so on.

Write about career interruptions up front and in a positive way. I present the data on career breaks, effective years worked, and achievements at the top of my CV, in cover letters for job applications, and in a prominent position on grant applications. Here’s an example: “Since 2009, I have worked the equivalent of approximately 3.3 full-time years, 55% of full-time. Yet it has been a highly productive period: 23 publications—including 12 as lead or last author—a research fellowship, and a major grant. On a pro-rata basis, that equates to about 42 publications in 6 years of full-time work.”

I also like to emphasize—without complaining—that working part-time while raising kids isn’t easy. “This does not account for the effect that reduced working hours and travel opportunities has on networking opportunities, which affects collaborations and citation rates. I have nonetheless established several fruitful national and international collaborations, and my research has scientific and practical impacts.” I want readers to think, “If she managed this working part-time, with breaks and sleep deprivation, imagine what she’ll do once the kids are older!”

Here’s the link to the original article: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/348/6236/830.full?utm_campaign=email-sci-toc&utm_src=email

This is valuable advice for those who have significant gaps in their career tracks, and we recommend that you take heed to these tips and strategies if this scenario applies to you.

Of all the advice though, the most important thing she highlights is that simply mentioning her three children wasn’t enough. Instead, she “did the math” for them and laid it out nice and neatly in an easy-to-understand (and positive) format.

Never make your application reviewers figure out how productive you are, just tell them! If you make anyone do extra work to figure out your background, they simply won’t do it, and instead, they’ll just move on to the next candidate (like they did during Emily’s first round of job applications). So make sure you do the math for them and explicitly explain how productive you are/were.

This strategy of creating an adjusted productivity rate “levels the playing field” and ensures that you are “judged fairly” against other candidates, as Emily points out. It makes you more competitive in an already competitive market, and in some cases, it may make you a BETTER candidate than those who haven’t had any major gaps or interruptions in their careers! So give it a try!

** Create an adjusted productivity rate for yourself on your next job application and let us know how it goes! **

Share your thoughts below by clicking the “Leave a Reply” link or by clicking the chat bubble in the top right of the post.

At some point in our lives, everyone has had to, or will have to, write a cold email to someone they don’t know. What do you say? How should you start it? Will the recipients even read it??

These questions run through everyone’s mind when they’re preparing to contact someone they do not yet know. The key word here is “yet” though, because after your email, you’ll hopefully begin a dialogue with that person and inevitably get to know a little bit about them.

So how do you ensure you A) get them to open your email, B) get your message across or ask your question clearly, C) get them to respond to your email, and finally D) get them to agree to your request/whatever you’ve proposed in the email itself?

Although there is no set recipe for drafting a perfect cold email, there are a few guidelines that you can (and should!) follow that will increase the chances of a positive response – and by positive response, we mean ‘get them to agree to your request.’

Here are a few tips for writing and sending a cold email:

1) Exude a friendly personality.

The best way to warm up a cold email is to (ironically) avoid being cold. Instead, be warm and friendly with your words. Choose words and phrases that portray you as a well-liked, personable individual.

For example, begin your email with well wishes:

“Dear Dr. Whoever, I hope this message finds you doing well.”

“Hi Mr. Doe, I hope you had a wonderful holiday season.”

Additionally, consider your word choice in your requests. Think about the underlying tone of the words you use to ask your question or relay your message. For example, the following two sentences convey a very different demeanor of the person who is writing/saying them:

“I need you to fill out this survey and get it back to me as soon as possible.”

“I was wondering if you’d be able to address a few questions and return your answers to me at your earliest convenience.”

The tone of these two sentences differ greatly, and most people will be more inclined to respond to the latter, more friendly and polite, request as opposed to the more strict and demanding former request – despite that it’s actually the same request! So, avoid using harsh tones, opting for words that phrase things more nicely and warmly.

Finally, be sure to end with a warm touch as well. You can offer more well wishes, suggest that they do something relaxing and non work-related (even though you secretly want them to work on your request!), end with a level of excitement at the prospect of working with them, genuinely thank them for their time and effort, or some combination of all of the above. Here are a few examples:

“Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to consider this request, and good luck with your upcoming presentation! I’ll see you there!”

“Thank you in advance for your time, and I hope you take a moment to enjoy the beautiful weather this upcoming weekend!”

“Enjoy a much-needed break with your family, and I look forward to hearing from you after the holiday season!”

“I really appreciate your time and consideration on the matter. I’m looking forward to hearing your response and hopefully working with you in the future!”

A number of different combinations will work wonders here, and all of them are equally acceptable. No matter which route you choose, just be sure to end on a happy, light-hearted note to convey that you have a heart and that you understand that they have lives outside of work and, more importantly, priorities that don’t involve you.

Adding these notes of warmth throughout your email is the simplest way to warm up a cold email. People are much more willing to work with those who are friendly and understanding instead of those who are demanding, strict, and unpleasant.

2) Use flattery and effusive praise.

People love to be told that they are amazing and great at what they do. In the busy world we live in, recognition for our efforts is often traded for speed and efficiency. In other words, if we do something great, we rarely get recognized for it (but of course, if we mess something up, we will certainly hear about it!).

In light of the fact that working individuals usually get little praise, play into the natural wants and desires of human beings and offer praise in your email. After all… you wouldn’t be contacting them if they were terrible at their jobs, would you? So tell them that they are great, and you’re more likely to get a response from them.

Here are some examples of how to subtly add praise and flattery to your email without overdoing it:

“Given your recent successes in determining the crystal structure of the elusive XYZ protein, we would like to highlight you as a guest speaker for our Structural Biology Seminar Series.”

“As a successful entrepreneur who has started and sold numerous companies, we would love for you to join our esteemed panel for a discussion on biotech start-ups at the upcoming Biomedical Careers Fair.”

And here is a real example from an email I wrote last week…

“We received rave reviews from those who attended your Small Group Discussion, which had one of the largest waitlists we’ve ever seen, and, as such, we would love to feature you in our upcoming Newsletter to share your experiences with those who were unable to attend your discussion.”

These are all great ways to praise and flatter someone and make them feel exceptionally good about themselves, which usually inclines them to agree to your requests. Notice that it’s really only a few words that take the sentences to the next level…

Words like “elusive,” “esteemed,” and “rave,” in the above sentences emphasize these individuals’ strengths and successes. Additionally, adding short but truthful phrases such as “one of the largest waitlists we’ve ever seen” gives the implication that they are better than the other guest speakers and highly sought after. Finally, choosing words such as “highlight” and “feature” instead of “invite” or “write about,” respectively, changes the level of exaltation implied in the sentences.

These little boosts of praise can be the difference between a “Yes” and a “Maybe,” or even a “No, I’m too busy.” Seriously… try re-reading the above sentences without the boosting words (elusive, esteemed, rave) and phrases (the largest waitlist) or with the less exalting substitutions (invite, write about), and see how these sentences suddenly take on a less flattering and more lackluster tone.

Word choice is key!

3) Validate/Justify Your Email.

By definition, a cold email is coming from someone they don’t know, so in every email you write and send, you should justify why you are writing and validate who you are to give yourself credibility. By making yourself a credible entity, not just someone off the streets needing a favor, they will be more inclined to agree to your request.

Let’s demonstrate what we mean by this:

“As the student representative on the Yale Immunology Seminar Series Committee, I would like to extend an invitation to you to speak at our upcoming seminar on June 5^th.”

“As the Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, I am pleased to solicit an advanced review from you and your team on XYZ to be published in the next issue of YJBM.”

“As a Communications Team Project Manager for the CNSPY, I’m writing to ask if you’d be willing to participate in a phone interview for our new Podcast series on Careers in Pharma.”

Even if you don’t have a major affiliation to an established organization, simply stating your association to Yale University puts you in a different caliber of students than most others. You’re not writing from a community college or another institution that isn’t as prestigious or well known. See these examples:

“As a Yale University graduate student studying the effects of diet on cardiovascular disease, I was hoping you’d be able to share your expertise and offer some insight on the new protocol you recently published on how to measure cholesterol levels in the bloodstream.”

“As a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University School of Medicine interested in transitioning from academia into biotech, I was wondering if you’d be willing to share with me your successful experiences making a similar transition over coffee sometime next week.”

These examples simply highlight that you are a studious individual at a prestigious institution, which is sometimes all you need! Also, these sentences not only provide credibility to the person writing/sending them, they also justify why they are writing… i.e. studying a similar topic as the recipient or looking to follow the recipient’s career path.

By providing both credibility and a reason why you are reaching out to the person, you give the recipient enough background information to make their own judgment call on whether or not their time investment would be relevant and helpful to you. If they don’t feel that it is really THEM and THEIR time that you need, they will be less likely to oblige.

However, if they feel that they are indeed the correct (and maybe the one-and-only) expert who can answer your questions or deliver your requested service given your specific needs and interests, they will be more inclined to help.

(And if you added some praise and flattery to your request, they will feel special and thus even more inclined to agree!)

4) Establish a connection.

Of course, with any cold email, it’s rare that you’ll have an obvious connection to your recipient, but if you can establish a connection – even tangentially – it makes your email a little less cold. For example:

“My name is Jane Doe, and I am the Director of Event Planning for the CNSPY. I know you previously worked with John Doe, former Director of Event Planning for the CNSPY, to provide wonderful catering for our XYZ event. Due to its success, John suggested I get in touch with you about the possibility of catering our ABC event this year.”

“I work with Bob Smith in the Department of Genetics, and he mentioned that you two used to work in the same graduate lab. Based on my interests in transitioning from academia to Publishing, he suggested I speak with you about how you successfully made the transition.”

Both of these instances establish a mutual connection, and more importantly, they highlight a referral. If you are referred to someone, this is a compliment to your cold email recipient, which plays into the praise and flattery aspect discussed earlier.

Additionally, if you both know someone in common, the figurative distance between you is a lot less than it seems; thus, making your email a little less cold.

Even if you don’t have a mutual connection, try to establish a connection by association:

“As fellow graduates of Yale University, both with PhDs in Biochemistry, I was hoping to get your advice on XYZ.”

“I currently run the Biomedical Careers Committee, and I know you previously sat on the board. As such, I was hoping to gain insight from you on XYZ.”

In these situations, although there is no mutual contact person, there IS still a mutual association to a common organization or institution. These types of connections are just as effective at making your email less cold and more familiar to your recipient.

You can even take these thoughts a step further and suggest a familiar meeting place if you plan to meet in person. For example, Blue State coffee shop! 🙂

5) Make it convenient for them.

No one will be willing to put in a huge amount of time and effort into your request, regardless of what it is.

Thus, it is VERY important to clarify in your email that (1) their time investment is minimal, (2) the time and place of something can be flexible to fit THEIR schedule, or (3) their experience will be as comfortable as possible if they are traveling.

By not covering these details in your email, it leaves many questions, which would require them to write back and get the clarification they would need, or they may simply say “no” regardless of the details if you don’t provide them initially.

Ways to do this up front are as follows:

“We’d like to feature you in our upcoming Newsletter. All we’d ask is that you provide brief responses to the few questions listed below and return them to us via email at your earliest convenience.”

“I would love to speak with you about transitioning from academia to science policy, preferably over coffee. I can work to accommodate your schedule at a coffee shop near your office building. Alternatively, if an in-person meeting isn’t feasible, a phone call would be wonderful as well.”

“We’d love to host you as a guest speaker for our seminar series. We’re more than willing to cover your travel expenses, and we can provide a hotel room at the Omni Hotel in New Haven for two nights for your stay here with us.”

Each of these sentences clarify that there is either a very minimal time investment to be featured spotlight in a Newsletter, that the informational interview can be planned on their time when they are free and when it’s convenient for them, or that they’d be taken care of and treated very comfortably if they agree to serve as a guest speaker.

One or two extra sentences to clarify these details in your original email can make a big difference in whether or not your request is granted or dismissed. So be sure to establish up front that your request is not meant to inconvenience them in any way!

6) Provide ALL the Information they’ll need in one email.

As a follow up to point #5, in addition to clarifying that your request will be convenient for them, you also want to provide ALL the information they need in one email.

For example, if you are inviting them to speak, give the date, time, location, type of audience, how long the talk will be, and if you will provide a laser pointer, Mac adaptor, screen projector, chalkboard, or whatever. This information is key for them in determining how much time and effort it will require to prepare for the talk and whether or not the scheduled day works for them. Another thing to consider is that if this is a seminar series that occurs every Tuesday, offer a few dates and let them choose the best fit. These details, in addition to travel accommodations discussed in point #5, will be critical in helping them decide whether or not they’d like to agree to the request.

Another example… if you are asking for a spotlight feature in the Newsletter (as per the example used above), don’t just ask them if they’d be willing to answer a few questions, provide the questions you want to ask. This way, they can assess whether or not those questions are too in-depth and would require a lot of thought and energy to respond. Don’t ask them to participate, then require them to ask for the questions in order to participate, and THEN provide the details. Give everything in one go, and let them decide based on all the information relevant to the request.

7) Use an Enticing Subject Line.

After you’ve composed a wonderful and perfectly worded email, the only thing left for you do to is make sure your recipient opens it!

How do you do that? Use an enticing subject line that piques their interest and curiosity. Compare the following pairs of subject lines… Which sounds more exciting?

“Guest Speaker Request” OR “Request for Featured Speaker in Yale Seminar Series”

“Career-in-Focus Interview” OR “Career Spotlight in Upcoming Newsletter”

“Informational Interview” OR “Meeting Request with Renowned Cardiologist”

The use of the words “featured,” “spotlight,” and “renowned” make the email sound like a bit of an award or a praise in itself. Again, people love to be recognized for their work and love to feel as though they are accomplished and well-respected in their fields. Play into this desire-to-be-the-best that every human innately has and the odds of getting your email opened will increase dramatically.

Doing this will also help your request stand out amongst all the other “Speaker Requests” and “Informational Interview Requests” they get. While these other emails may get passed over in their inboxes, because yours has a different and enticing title, yours may actually get opened, which is more than half the battle in some cases. And if they only open one speaker/informational interview request that day, it might as well be yours. 🙂

When combined together, these tips will help you compose a cold email that is less “cold” and more likely to get opened and receive a positive response. Of course, every email is different, and depending on the specific circumstances surrounding your request or message, not every strategy is applicable to every email. In those cases, use your best judgment to decide which tactics are appropriate and which ones will likely lead to a favorable reply. Generally speaking though, many of the above listed tips will help your email go over more smoothly and receive the response you’re hoping for.

Good luck writing and sending your next cold email!

** Use these strategies the next time you need to write a cold email, and let us know how it goes! **

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One aspect of networking that is often overlooked is relationship building. You don’t just want a connection to someone, you want a relationship with them.

Building a relationship can seem like hard work, but this is nothing like working on your relationship with your significant other. Your network connections don’t need flowers or chocolates, but they do need a little professional attention.

This is where ‘The 5-minute Favor’ can help you.

The 5-minute Favor is something that you can do for someone else that doesn’t require more than 5 minutes of your time. We’re all busy, but surely we all have 5 minutes during the day to help someone else out.

These favors are super simple things that you can do for someone to help them move ahead in a project, make a new connection, prepare a presentation, etc.

Here are some examples of 5-minute Favors:

1) Write an email on someone’s behalf.

Let’s say you’re talking to a colleague who expresses an interest in learning more about a field or wants to specifically target Company X for a new job. And let’s say you’ve previously met someone in that field or know someone who works for Company X (possibly a former classmate or coworker who left academia for that company, or maybe it’s a friend or family member, whatever it may be).

Mention to your colleague that you have a connection in that very field/company and offer to write an email on their behalf introducing them to your connection. It really won’t take you more than 5 minutes to put together a quick email, copy your colleague, and send it to your network connection.

Just be sure to mention something in your email to rekindle your dialogue with that network connection by mentioning something from your last interaction to help remind them who you are. It would also help to pose the introduction as a favor to them as well.

For example:

“Hi Dr. Whoever, 

It was great seeing you at the XYZ Conference back in September, and I hope you had a great holiday season. I’m writing today to introduce you to a colleague of mine who may be able to help you move your company forward. He’s interested in pursuing a career in your field and would like more information about Company X. I’ve copied him here, and I hope you two find that you are a great match for each other!

Let me know if I can help in any other way. Cheers!”

This does EVERYONE a favor, including you, because you can foster a better relationship and reinvigorate a dialogue with Dr. Whoever, which may end up being helpful for you later. You never know…

2) Offer to make a call on someone’s behalf.

Imagine that a colleague of yours is working on a hosting a departmental event and they can’t find a caterer that will fit within a specific budget. Let’s say you recently planned a wedding and know a caterer with reasonable rates who may also offer a discount because of your referral to them. Make a call for them, work some “prior client” magic if you can, and get a quote for your friend’s event.

3) Offer to help someone in the lab.

Let’s say a colleague of yours is trying to do something that requires assistance from a core facility, one that you happen to be stopping by to do something for your own project. Offer to ask the technicians a few questions on their behalf while you’re there, or offer to drop off that sequencing submission on your way to pick yours up. This will give you a chance to learn a little more about what the core facilities and services have to offer, you’ll make connections with the technicians there (who may then help you or prioritize your samples if/when you’re in a bind later), and your colleague is then grateful to you for your help and thus more willing to help you in return in the future.

4) Do a small chore that benefits everyone.

Are you taking out your own trash bin, but notice that others’ have full trash bins? Offer to take their out with yours. Again, doing small favors here and there will help you build a good working relationship with your colleagues, and they may, in turn, be more willing to help you with something in the future.

5) Offer technological help.

Do you have a computer program that someone else needs, but doesn’t have? Offer them an hour or two to use the program on your computer to finish analyzing that data set or making that figure. Or, if you know how to use a particular program that would greatly benefit them and their data analysis, introduce them to the new program and offer to give them a short tutorial so that they can operate the program without your assistance in the future. Alternatively, if someone is having printer issues, offer to print out that journal article for them so they can have a hard copy. A number of different technology hiccups can occur in research, and for most, some sort of relief from these endless glitches is greatly appreciated. If you have a solution, share the wealth!

There are many other types of 5-minute favors out there. These are just a few to get you started, but anything you can think of that doesn’t require much of a time investment on your part is an opportunity-in-disguise to potentially build a stronger relationship with people. So, offer to help out!

By offering our help, we foster an appreciation. The recipient of the favor is often very thankful and much more willing to help you out in the future. Think of this as a way of paying-it-forward for a future favor in your direction. You never know when you’ll be in a tough situation and need some help. Set the groundwork now so that when your time of need comes, others are offering YOU their help before you even need to ask for it.

Additionally, in many cases, doing a small favor for someone else indirectly benefits you at the time of the favor itself. For example, when you put a colleague in touch with one of your network connections, you also get the opportunity to refresh and strengthen your own relationship with that network connection as well. Always looks for opportunities to continue a dialogue with those you don’t interact with often. Any excuse you can find to strike up conversation will help your network connections know you better, and this may come in handy when it comes time to apply for jobs (potentially in their industry!).

As demonstrated, there are many benefits (for you) associated with doing a small favor for someone else. So take the ‘selfless’ approach, help someone else, and see how your good deed comes full circle for you!

** Think of a simple 5-minute favor you can do for someone, go do it, and tell us how it goes! We want to hear all about it! **

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I was once asked, “How did you develop your unshakeable confidence?”

This came as a bit of a shock to me because, to be quite frank, I do not always feel confident, and if I do find a little confidence, it is certainly not unshakeable!

At the time, I had no idea how to answer the question because I simply did not agree with the notion, but later it occurred to me that, in others’ opinions, whatever I was doing seemed to convey confidence. So I was very curious to figure out what it was that I was doing that gave off this air of “unshakeable” confidence.

I started to do a lot of self-reflecting and began comparing everything that I was doing to everything that others were doing in the same situation. By trying to take an outsider’s look at myself in comparison to others, I started to realize a few things…

It first started to make sense when I was in a group meeting in which a few very important people were in attendance… I noticed that I behaved quite differently than a few of the other graduate students and postdocs in the room. More importantly, these were things I was doing naturally and unconsciously – I didn’t realize I was doing them until I realized others WEREN’T doing them.

Here are some of the key differences I noticed:

1) Posture – Sit Up Straight

While most of the individuals in attendance seemed to be hunching their shoulders forward, I was sitting with very straight posture – shoulders back, not rounded over, and with my back straight against the back of the chair (i.e. not slouched with my rear end towards the front of the chair causing me to lean back in the chair).

In looking at those who weren’t sitting up straight – as in, those who were adopting a slouched or hunched demeanor – I got the impression that they didn’t want to be there or that they were afraid to be there, and that they were somewhat disinterested in the meeting itself (which could have been viewed as “disrespectful” by others in attendance).

Thus, if I was adopting the opposite posture, I must have been conveying the opposite message – that I wanted to be there, that I wasn’t afraid to be there in the presence of some big-named important individuals, and that I was respectfully paying attention.

2) Chin Height – Avoid Pointing Down

We’ve mentioned this before on the CNSPY blog: https://campuspress-test.yale.edu/cnspy/2015/04/01/what-does-your-body-language-say-about-you/ But we’ll mention it again because it’s that important!

Most of the people in the room who were slouching and hunching forward also had a downward pointing chin – as in, the angle between their chin and their neck was acute, and the end of their chins were pointing towards the floor. In contrast, my chin only pointed down when I needed to write something down in my notebook.

For the majority of the time, my chin was either horizontal to the floor as I looked at and listened to an individual at the table who was speaking or it was pointed upwards slightly as I looked at the presenter (who was standing) or the slides on the screen.

As mentioned in the previous blog (linked above), your chin angle can subtly tell others your place in the hierarchy. If your chin is pointed down, you must inherently look up at others when they speak; thus, they are “above” you, literally and figuratively. If your chin is parallel to the floor, this subconsciously puts everyone on the same level – no one is above or below the other. Finally, if your chin is pointed up, you must tilt your eyes downward (thus, looking down on someone) in order to see them when they speak, which suggests to the other person that you feel you are “above” them.

Note though, that an upward chin angle when you are sitting and the other person is standing is natural and, thus, completely acceptable – it doesn’t portray that you are above them, it simply shows that you are listening and paying attention.

However, regardless of whether you are standing or sitting, having a downward pointed chin still conveys that you are beneath the other person and that you are intimidated by their presence. Giving others the impression that you are afraid or intimidated certainly doesn’t portray confidence.

Thus, with my horizontal or upward tilted chin, I suppose I appeared more confident than others in the room who had a downward pointing chin angle.

3) Lean In – Physically 

Another thing I did differently was that while most individuals remained slouched or leaned back in their chairs, I often leaned forward during important parts of the discussion, either to listen more closely or to offer a comment myself.

Last week, our guest blogger, Dianna Bartel, discussed some important aspects of “non-verbal listening,” which can also help you radiate confidence in certain contexts. In her blog post, she mentioned that leaning forward while listening shows attentiveness to your speaker. https://campuspress-test.yale.edu/cnspy/2015/04/22/the-other-half-of-communicating-effectively-listening/

In addition to attentiveness, leaning or sitting forward (and perhaps leaning on the table in some cases) during a discussion can also demonstrate that you are not intimidated by the big wigs, that you are not afraid to actively partake in the conversation, and that you feel your participation in the discussion is warranted and valuable and should be treated as such. All of these things inherently convey confidence.

4) “Lean In” – Figuratively

Yes, I am referring to Sheryl Sandberg’s version of “Lean In” here. If you haven’t yet read her book, Lean In, I highly recommend that you do so, and that goes for men AND women.

It is not a “woman-book” as some people perceive it to be. The advice she provides is applicable to both genders and, specifically, to anyone who is trying to get ahead in their field and make a name for themselves. If you fall into this category, then do not be fooled, this book IS indeed for you!

Now, back to main point of the blog post…. In this meeting, I noticed that I was one of the few people sitting at the table who wasn’t a PI or an Industry representative.

One way that Sandberg suggests that we “lean in” is to sit AT the table. Often times, graduate students and postdocs will take a back seat in big meetings, offering the chairs at the table to the ‘important’ people. But guess what? By doing so, you are telling everyone else that you are NOT important, as you don’t qualify as a table-sitter. Just like the angle of your chin, this is another subtle cue telling others that you are beneath them.

If you were invited (or told) to come to the meeting, you have every right to sit at the table, and by doing so, you are telling others that you are valuable enough and important enough to be there, so you best with treated with similar respect as the big wigs.

Additionally, another way to figuratively “lean in” is to actually speak up. Regardless of where you are in the room, offer a comment. Let your voice be heard. And do it without waffling around…

None of this: “Um, if I could say something? … Ok… uh… well… I was just thinking that XYZ could be done this way perhaps, and it might help us.”

No, say what you have to offer without the cushion words that undermine your statement. For example: “Why don’t we try doing XYZ this way? This could save us time, money, and resources.”

There is an obvious difference in the level of confidence conveyed in each of the above statements. But aside from deciding which way to say it, AT LEAST SAY IT!

In the meeting I’m referencing here, I was one of the few people, if not the only person, in the ‘graduate students and postdocs’ category of attendees that spoke up and said anything at all during the meeting. I’m sure this had something to do with others thinking that I was actually more confident than I really was… even though, deep down, I was as nervous as ever!

Again, if you were invited to the meeting, your knowledge and opinions are valued, and should feel comfortable enough to speak up. And when you do, lose the fluff words. Say what you mean, and say it directly.

These figurative “leaning in” tactics – sitting at the table, speaking up, and speaking directly and definitively – will inherently make you appear more confident even if you are feeling a bit intimidated by your surroundings.

5) Attire – Dress the Part

The last thing I noticed at this meeting that really struck me was my attire. While scientists can often get away with an “anything goes” policy, there are times and places when a slightly nicer attire can make the biggest difference.

Knowing that we had a big meeting with Industry representatives who were deciding whether or not to provide our lab with serious funding for a particular project, I took it upon myself to step up my typical ‘jeans-and-shirt’ standard laboratory dresscode and wore a collared shirt with a pair of black dress pants that day.

In the lab, this outfit certainly seemed out of place, but in the room with many PIs and Industry representatives, most of whom were wearing suits or donning business-casual outfits, I looked like I very much belonged there. On the other hand, the graduate students and postdocs who wore their typical lab attire looked as though they felt the meeting wasn’t important enough to warrant a little nicer dresscode.

I can’t say for sure, but I suspect that I was taken slightly more seriously that day due to the way I dressed. Thus, sitting at the table and offering fluff-free comments didn’t seem so out of place to the big wigs (despite that I was merely a postdoc, not a PI), and I probably gave them the impression that I was indeed an important member of the lab. And to think… all I had to do to earn that respect was change my clothes.

As they say, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”

Together, all of these things (1-5 above) most likely contributed to the air of “unshakeable confidence” that I seemed to give off. However, to me, I believed I was simply being respectful by sitting up straight, leaning forward, listening attentively, and dressing appropriately. Similarly, I felt that I was simply being helpful and constructive by offering comments and suggestions in the meeting. Little did I realize that doing these things made me appear more confident than I may have actually felt at the time.

Thus, going forward I have tried to make a conscious effort to ensure that I don’t forget to do these things at future meetings, networking events, national research conferences, small group discussions, etc.

I firmly believe that you can command respect by dressing the part and changing a few little behaviors that make a big difference. Importantly, this starts a wonderful cycle… as you portray more confidence and command respect, you are eventually given more respect. Once that happens, you will become more confident, and the cycle perpetuates itself. So, while you might initially adopt these strategies to convey a level of confidence that you may not yet have, by making these behaviors part of your routine, you will eventually become more confident naturally. 🙂

Act like you belong, and you will.

** Try these techniques and let us know if it boosts your confidence levels! **

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This week, guest blogger and CNSPY member, Dianna Bartel, continues to share her thoughts on effective communication. As a follow-up to last week’s post about speaking and conveying our messages clearly, this week she focuses on the other half of communication – listening. Here’s Dianna:

Communicating is a give and take endeavor. To actually communicate we need our listeners to understand what we are saying. Otherwise we are just talking. So expressing our thoughts to our listeners is only half of the equation. The other half is listening to what our audience communicates back to us.

We usually focus far more on the speaking side of the communication chain compared to the listening side. And after we explain our imperative ideas, we look to our audience for indications that they understood. But if we cannot hear what they have to tell us, it really won’t matter how clearly we think we are speaking.

“We were given two ears but only one mouth, because listening is twice as hard as talking.” – Epictetus, Greek philosopher

Almost all of us sincerely believe that we are good listeners. Consequently, we do not think we need to further our listening skills. But in fact, listening effectively is something few us do. Not because there is anything particularly difficult about listening, but we have just never developed the habits to really tune in attentively. Perhaps listening skills are even more in danger in this golden age of information, where we continually maneuver through an endless hum of info by tuning-out, not tuning-in.

Listening isn’t simply something that happens (that is hearing). Rather, listening requires conscious thought to truly comprehend the message, which is precisely what we hope our audience is doing while we are talking. When it’s our turn to listen, we need to mirror the responses we look for from our audience. It’s a golden rule of communication – do unto to others as you wish to be done to you.

So let’s reconsider several points we have visited as speakers, but now from the vantage point of listeners.

Non-Verbal Listening

Just as the speaking side of communication is an active endeavor, so too is listening. As active listeners we cannot be distracted. Which means no fidgeting, looking at a clock, biting our fingernails, doodling, shuffling papers, or worst of all, checking our phones.

Beyond focusing fully on the speaker we need to actively show signs of listening. It is normal and usually encouraging as a listener to make eye contact with the speaker. This is perhaps the most direct signal of our fixed attention. Combining eye contact with smiles and nods of the head are powerful affirmations that we are getting the message.

Our posture also signals our state of concentration.  Attentive listeners tend to lean slightly forward or sideways while sitting. Other signs of active listening include a slight slant of the head or resting the chin on one hand.

Use these strategies to not only convey to others that you are indeed listening to them, but also to help you listen more attentively – these postures and behaviors inherently prevent fidgeting and phone-checking and encourage eye contact and attentiveness.

Verbal Listening

It is perfectly possible to mimic all the non-verbal signs of active listening and not even hear a word that is said, let alone grasp the message. It is far more difficult to imitate verbal signs that we really comprehend something.

Although positive words of encouragement, such as “very good,” “indeed,” and “absolutely,” can be beneficial, we should use these sparingly so as not to distract from what is being said. It is usually better to remember the key points and summarize what we have understood when the speaker has finished their thought. This also allows us to reflect on the entirety of what the other person has said.

It is often the case that we hear what we expect to hear, so it is important that we do not introduce our own ideas or questions. In other words, we should put aside our own agendas (yes, most of us listeners have them). The goal is not to ask leading questions or spin off into what seems like a response but is actually just a way for us to get our own ideas across, be recognized for our amazing opinions, or have our own feelings acknowledged. Remember, we are focused on what the speaker just said so we want to use our own words to summarize what we heard. Paraphrasing not only shows that we are listening but that we are truly trying to understand their meaning.

In sum, we simply cannot go wrong by showing interest in what other people say and making them feel important. In other words, the better we listen, the more we will be listened to.

** It’s our turn to listen, let us know what you think about the other half of communicating. **

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This week’s blog post features guest blogger and CNSPY member, Dianna Bartel. Here, she discusses how to effectively communicate our thoughts and ideas when we suffer from the Curse of Knowledge, a phenomenon that occurs when one person is privy to information that the other person is unaware of. Here’s Dianna:

As simple as communication seems, much of what we try to get across to others – as well as what others try to tell us – gets misunderstood. As we’ve read in the last two blogs, our non-verbal signals speak volumes. So how do we turn up the volume with the words we use?

Consider the word itself, communicate – this stems from the Latin verb communicare, meaning to share. In essence we are seeking to communicate with our audience, not to our audience, because getting our message across requires a joint effort with our listeners, who need to assimilate our words into some kind of meaningful context. But with some preparation and attention, we can help entice and encourage our listeners to take interest in what we have to say. And it largely boils down to one crucial step:

Know Your Audience.

This is the crux of communicating well. Regardless of the situation, whether it’s a job interview or an outreach demonstration at a grade school, we are trying to gauge what our listeners already know. This is more difficult than it sounds because we suffer from the Curse of Knowledge – a term first coined by economists to explain why people are not as shrewd in bargaining as they could be when they know information that the other party does not.

This conundrum has also been illustrated with the classic example of a simple two-person game, where one person was the tapper and the other was the listener. The tapper tapped the rhythm to a well-known song, like “Happy Birthday,” on the table while the listener tried to guess the song. After 120 songs were tapped, listeners only had a success rate of 2.5%. Yet the tappers predicted their success would be 50%. So while tappers only got their message across once in every 40 tries, they expected to get it across in one out of every two tries. Why?

While the tappers tap, it is impossible for them not to hear the tune playing along to their taps. The listeners, on the other hand, only hear a kind of bizarre code without the background or context to decipher it. The problem is once we know something, such as the melody of a song, it is exceedingly difficult to imagine not knowing it. And the more we know about a subject, the harder it can become to communicate about it to others.

This Curse of Knowledge is like a mental blind spot. We fail to even notice the Curse because the Curse prevents us from noticing it!  So how can we see what we are blinded to? We can start by trying to imagine or remember where our audience is coming from. A bit of reflection should quickly reveal a specific pitfall that we are all at least vaguely aware of: the use of terminology, scientific verbiage, and abbreviations. Every profession and pastime develops its own lingo out of sheer convenience. The challenge is that, as we become more proficient in a field, we come to use these catchwords automatically, and we forget that our audience may not know this dialect. We can remove a surprising amount of jargon without insulting our audience or dumbing down the science. For example, we are not talking down to our audience by replacing “murine model” with “rats and mice,” nor is it any less scientific.

Yet trying to put ourselves in others’ shoes still does not make us any better in figuring out what they know. A better way to glimpse beyond the Curse is to get feedback from the world of our audience. Explaining our work to anyone outside our field can help us see around our mental blinders. Or as my mentor would say, “you know you’re ready when you can explain your work to your grandmother.” This was his exact advice while I was practicing my first research talk and desperately trying to prepare for any question a diverse audience might throw my way.

I initially thought this suggestion was, well, silly but I tried it anyway. My first attempt to describe my studies resulted in a nodding of my grandmother’s head coupled with the obligatory “hmmm.” It only took about a minute and a half to alienate my audience.  I felt like a tapper who couldn’t understand why my listener could not hear “Happy Birthday.”

Fortunately, my grandmother really was interested to know what I did and put forth quite a bit of effort to figure this out. She was not afraid to ask me all the ‘whats’ and ‘whys’ of what I was trying to tell her. Not surprisingly, so much of my coded message was easier for my grandmother to decipher when I used more direct and concrete language… like the more straightforward idea (listed second) compared to my more cryptic first attempt:

First Attempt:  “My studies focus on the central glial responses following peripheral nerve injury.”

Second Attempt:  “Basically, I study how certain cells in the brain respond after a nerve is injured in the body.”

I assumed that the meaning of the words central and peripheral were obvious; these words are commonplace after all. But without any context those words were unconnected from anything else I said. It just took a few questions for me to realize some of the assumptions I had made. This is why it is useful to practice with someone who is willing to put some effort to listening to us and is not afraid to ask seemingly stupid questions. Chances are good that someone in our target audience will have similar questions but will be too uncomfortable to ask.

Bare in mind that we are all continually bombarded by information day after day: information that we constantly need to sort out, put into context, and derive meaning from. We are ultimately asking our audience to put some brainpower into assimilating what we have to say.

In order to communicate, we must be understood.

So we are tasked with making our complex ideas easier to understand, rather than simply spewing out information regardless of who may be listening.

As we seek to communicate clearly, we may also find a bit of moral advice in the imperative to overcome the Curse of Knowledge: trying to lift ourselves out of our narrow mindsets and find out how other people think and feel. As Stephen Pinker pointed out, this may not make us better people in all walks of life, but it will be a source of continued kindness to our listeners.

** Let us know what else you think about effective communication and the Curse of Knowledge! **

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There have been a lot of social behavior studies that have focused on how our body language affects those around us – what non-verbal messages we send, and how those messages make others feel.

However, less work has been done to analyze if, and how, our body language affects us.

Social psychologist, Amy Cuddy, set out to investigate this question, and she and her team found that our body language physically changes our brains’ chemical composition, which can affect how we behave.

She discusses her work and its findings here in her 2014 TED talk:

http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en

If you haven’t seen it yet, you should watch it! But for now, we’ll summarize it for you here:

She begins by pointing out that the universal motion for excitement, elation, and/or dominance is to open up your body widely and throw your hands in the air – think of a sprinter who crosses the finish line and wins the race.

This is seen across the animal kingdom, and even those who are congenitally blind will make these motions despite that they have never witnessed anyone else do this. So this form of body language is innate and intuitive.

Given that people tend to stand taller and spread their arms wider when they are feeling victorious and elated, she questioned if the opposite was true when people are feeling defeated. Not surprisingly, she was correct. When people feel defeated, discouraged, intimidated, or inferior they tend to make themselves smaller with their arms and legs crossed more tightly and their shoulders hunched forward.

She then looked at hormone levels in the brain to see if a corresponding shift in chemical composition was associated with these different feelings and mental states.

By examining testosterone and cortisol levels – the dominance and stress hormones, respectively – she was able to show that, indeed, those who exhibited the open, arms up, dominant, “on top of the world” behaviors temporarily had higher levels of testosterone and lower levels of cortisol. In contrast, those who exhibited the small, closed-off, defeated behaviors had lower testosterone and higher cortisol levels, suggesting that these individuals were very stressed; the opposite of the former cohort of people.

So it seemed that body language and certain behaviors were, as predicted, associated with different stress levels and mental states.

Then came the most interesting question… She wondered if our feelings and hormones dictate our body language or if it was the other way around: does our body language dictate our mental state?

She recruited a number of participants (blind to the study) and measured their hormone levels before the experiment started. Then, she asked half of them to make themselves small by crossing their arms and legs and sitting in a chair while trying not to be noticed in the room. She asked the other half of the participants to make themselves big by standing tall with their hands on their hips and shoulders back or by leaning back in their chairs with their feet up on the table and their hands/arms held up behind their heads.

After holding these positions for only a few minutes, she then re-tested their hormone levels. Interestingly, those in the more dominant “power poses” had increased testosterone levels and decreased cortisol levels compared to their resting state levels at the beginning of the experiment. Additionally, those who adopted the smaller, more defeated demeanors had decreased testosterone levels and increased cortisol levels compared to their original resting state levels.

These data suggested that those holding the “power poses” triggered hormonal changes to elicit a more empowered, dominant mental state, whereas those maintaining the closed and defeated stances shifted their mental states to a more stressed state.

So… your body language CAN affect YOU, not just those around you.

Dr. Cuddy took this analysis one step further. She performed the same experiment on a new cohort of participants, but she added a rigorous job interview to the experimental design.

After testing original hormone levels, having them pose for 2 minutes (either in power poses or non-power poses), and retesting hormone levels, she then subjected the participants to a stressful interview in which the interviewers were instructed to intensely grill the interviewees, making the interviews very strenuous and taxing. Additionally, the interviewers were specifically trained to show no emotions, giving zero non-verbal cues to indicate whether the interviewees’ performance was going well or going poorly.

She then asked the interviewers to select whether or not they would hire each candidate for the hypothetical position. Interestingly, all of the candidates they chose to hire were those who had been power posing for a mere 2 minutes prior to the interview. And very few, if any, of the non-power posers were chosen to be hired by the panel.

So… your body language behaviors can affect you AND your performance in stressful situations.

These results indicated that power posing increases testosterone (the dominance, “I’m on top of the world” hormone) and decreases cortisol (the stress hormone) to make you less stressed. Furthermore, these tests highlight that being less stressed improves your ability to perform well in traditionally stressful situations.

Finally, as demonstrated by the study, being able to perform well under significant pressure could mean the difference between receiving an offer letter for the job or being dismissed as a potential candidate.

So do your power posing before a big moment!

Whether it’s a talk, a major presentation, a job interview, a pitch for a new client, etc. Whatever it may be, do your power posing beforehand and your potential for success will skyrocket!

One piece of advice though… don’t power pose in front of your potential future boss or the attendees for your presentation. This usually doesn’t go over well! You don’t want to seem arrogant about the situation, you just want to shift your brain’s chemical composition such that you can boost your confidence and perform better under pressure. That’s the point of power posing.

So, before the big moment… find a bathroom (maybe even a bathroom stall) and power pose – stand tall with your hands on your hips, shoulders back, chest out, chin up, and gameface ON! – for a few minutes (2 mins is all it takes), and you’ll be ready to conquer anything that’s about to come your way!

Sources:  TED Talk – Amy Cuddy

** Try power posing before your next big gig and let us know how it goes! **

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Networking is all about communication. This usually involves speaking with someone you’ve just met, and of course, everything you say is verbally communicated to your new network connection, but have you ever thought about what else you may be communicating to them non-verbally??

Believe it or not, our body language actually conveys more information than what we say. About 90% of all communication is non-verbal.

So what messages are you sending with your body language? These are important considerations…

Simple things can completely turn others away from you or give them a negative impression of you. In many cases, we are unaware of how we are offending our new contacts. So let us highlight a few key non-verbal cues that can make a big difference in your new contact’s perception of you.

1) Smile!

We’ve emphasized this before (and we’ll continue to emphasize it because it’s SO important), but you should always smile! ALWAYS!

Why? Because smiling puts others at ease. Imagine if you met someone for the first time and they gave you a stone-cold expression or scowled at you throughout the entire conversation. Would you be comfortable speaking to them at length? Or would you feel slightly uncomfortable, trying to figure out if they are mad at you or just generally angry at the world? Most people would try to escape any conversation with that person as fast as possible!

On the contrary, if someone is smiling during your conversation with them, it’s probably a more pleasant experience. You may be more able to laugh at certain comments and share a mutual interest in something. In general the conversation takes on a less serious, more relaxed, and more light-hearted tone. This makes the person appear more inviting, and you may want to get to know them a little better.

Additionally, smiling is a great way to garner trust from someone. Think about it… it’s a lot easier to trust someone who seems happy and genuine, isn’t it? Exactly. So, by smiling more, you send the impression that you are helpful, compassionate, and real instead of an aggressive, sketchy slimeball who might be trying to use the other person to get ahead in their career.

So smile. It’s that simple. Smiling goes a long way in making a good impression on someone.

2) Check Your Chin Angle.

Unless you are incredibly short, lifting your chin slightly inherently causes you to close your eyes a little to continue looking at the person you’re talking to. This creates an air or an impression that you are better than the other person because it appears as though you are looking down on them.

Thus, a lifted chin is associated with a message of condescension, and no ones likes to feel belittled in a conversation. So be sure that you aren’t doing this to other people! If someone feels as though you feel you are better than they are (and that you have apparently made this assumption with very little information about them!), they will not think very highly of you at all. Instead, they will be very put off by you, and they probably won’t want to talk to you much longer.

In contrast, if you keep your chin horizontal, this subtly puts you and the other person on a more equal playing field. It doesn’t convey an exalted ego, nor does it insinuate that you are a lesser person than the other (as would be the case if your chin was dropped and held very close to your chest, causing you to look up at the other person). Keeping things neutral in an indirect way is key.

If you want to take this one step further, a slight tilt of the head to the left or the right additionally sends a more relaxed, casual vibe, as if you are letting loose a tiny bit instead of holding your head straight and stiff. Casual and inviting without projecting a superior or inferior attitude is what you should strive for here.

3) Angle Your Body, too.

Just as your chin angle can say a lot about what you’re thinking, your body angle can send similar messages.

Standing at a full frontal can be viewed as a very intimidating and aggressive move. If someone is perfectly squared off with you – shoulders completely parallel to yours – standing right in front of you, it can appear as though they are on the attack. No one wants anyone to come at them during a networking reception, nor do they want to feel like they are being cornered with no way out.

Avoid this discreetly aggressive stance by angling your body. Don’t stand with your shoulders parallel to theirs. Stand at an angle. Try to create an obtuse angle with your shoulders and theirs. This creates a more open feeling, and if they absolutely needed to, they could excuse themselves from the conversation much more easily than if you were standing square in front of them, blocking their way. Angling your body makes them feel less trapped and you aren’t perceived as aggressive in the conversation.

In addition to appearing more relaxed and casual, the added benefit of this openness between you and the other person is that it allows other people to seamlessly join the conversation while the two of you are talking, which can lead to more networking opportunities than you originally bargained for! 🙂

4) Keep Your Palms Up.

When using your hands as you’re talking, be sure that your palms are up. This suggests that you are open to their thoughts and ideas and that you are (again) more relaxed and casual.

The opposite – speaking with your palms pointed down – can be perceived as a lecture, as if you’re scolding someone. Think about how your parents spoke to you when you were in trouble… Their palms were probably facing downwards as they ordered you to “Go think about what you did!” They may have shaken a finger at you and pointed to a mess you made, all while their hands faced down. Or think about someone who adamantly opposes a proposed idea. As they say, “No way!” they probably have their palms down and their hands and arms are most likely moving in a side-to-side manner.

Every instance of palms facing down towards the floor is associated with more stern manners of talking. Thus, having your palms down comes across as very demonstrative, authoritative, and – at times – aggressive and intimidating. Avoid sending these signals by keeping your palms facing upwards. This way you’ll appear more open and casual.

5) Pay Attention to Your Eyebrows.

During the conversation, your facial expressions can indicate exactly what you think about something the other person said, and if your words don’t match the look on your face, it really doesn’t matter what you say next, they already know your true opinions.

Additionally, these looks can be offensive at times. Imagine that the other person has said something that you feel is incredibly stupid. The natural, and almost involuntary, reaction is to scrunch your eyebrows in an “are you serious?” tone. You may be able to catch yourself and actually say something nice, but the damage has already been done. They know you think it’s a stupid idea. Alternatively, if you raise your eyebrows in an inspired/inquisitive manner (regardless of what you actually think of the idea), this makes the other person feel good about the conversation/their idea.

You’re welcome to have your own opinions, of course, but when trying to network and make new connections, it’s best to avoid accidently offending the other person.

So pay attention to what your eyebrows are doing. Any kind of raised eyebrow expression is perceived as more open, inviting, and comforting to the other person, whereas anything that causes your eyebrows to scrunch into an angry or confused look suggests that you don’t think highly of the other person in some capacity… in which case, the conversation likely won’t end well. So think uplifting and positive thoughts!

A big hint here… It’s very hard to have angry or scrunched eyebrows when you’re smiling. So, back to point #1, ALWAYS SMILE! 🙂

These are five simple non-verbal means of communication, and considering that 90% of what we communicate is sent via non-verbal cues, it’s important to pay attention to things like chin and body angles, your hands, and your facial expressions. Be sure that you aren’t turning away a potential network connection and a great opportunity by accidentally offending someone with your non-verbals.

You want your body language to complement what you’re actually saying. Strive to communicate a cohesive message and preferably one that is open and inviting, casual and non-judgmental, so that you leave your new network connection with a ‘good feeling’ about you. 🙂

** Let us know of any other non-verbal cues that you think are particularly important! **

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