In 2011 or so, an endowed chair in my discipline told me that my style of research was dead.
I had just given a talk on mindfulness & being open to new ideas.
Without irony, the ‘mean chair’ casually dropped that my work embodied an old way of thought & he was surprised that I was not studying current topics or using current methods.
He later shared the sentiment that my work was not likely to earn me the rank of Full Professor.
I recall thinking that the ‘mean chair’ was a bit mindless.
I mindfully managed to not snap & left the campus visit with mean words echoing in my head.
Over the next ten years, I found myself reflecting on the why & what of those words. It took a while, but that thinking, helped me chart a more mindful, better career path.
The mindless comments on research did not change my topics; however, they made me more attentive to the theory & methods applied in my papers.
The mindless comments on my career did not cause me to give up on promotion; however, they made me more attentive to how my words impacted early career scholars.
In the end, comments intended to disparage my work, helped me become more mindful in my work, treat people in my life better, & earn my own chair.
What did I learn? From learning to cope with the mean chair’s comments?
First, distance. I learned to separate the mean chair’s comments about my work, from my self-esteem.
While research is personal, you can’t let it define you. If you separate your work from your self, it’s easier to digest pointed comments.
Second, openness. I learned that good feedback comes in many forms from many people.
While the mean chair expressed skepticism, the best comments came from a Ph.D. student - who later helped me finish the paper.
Third, reinvention. I was motivated to update my methods.
When the mean chair called me dated, I recalibrated & learned to design better experiments.
Fourth, confidence. I learned to believe in my work.
Even though the mean chair disparaged my topics & methods, I was reminded of my goal to write one great paper a year.
I focused on working on what I love. While my methods have improved, I now publish at least one paper a year that I love.
That confidence in my work rolled over into the rest of my life, leading to positive life changes.
Fifth, awareness. I now know that people do remember how they made them feel.
I now work hard to offer constructive & honest feedback, to myself, to early-career scholars, & to people that I care about.
When I look back, I am not grateful for the mean chair’s comments, they were unnecessary; but, I do take satisfaction in knowing that what I learned from them made me better.
In 2022, my work flourishes because #mindfulness & #perseveranceconquered the words of a mean chair.
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