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September 26, 2005
Learning how to run a research lab
I found that my PhD did an excellent job of teaching me how to think and how to finish something big. It did not, however, equip me with the tools I need to manage a research lab and to teach.
My approach to learning to manage a lab is to read random books from the BYU MBA program. In our bookstore, the CS books are across from the MBA books so its easy to browse through whatever the MBA faculty has picked for their students and read that which looks interesting. A colleague turned me on to The E-myth revisited which taught me about establishing a system and expectations.
I just finished Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box. This book was more helpful in working with other people, like other professors, than running a lab. This book was mostly helpful in getting me to focus on results rather than focusing on myself.
Both were good for a young professor learning about this management stuff. Fortunately for me, I have good students to work with so its been a good time to learn in a non-pressure environment.
Posted by jones at September 26, 2005 09:04 PM
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