Tips for managing a slow dissertation advisor (or being mindful of how you communicate with the boss).
Being a PhD student is challenging, especially once you have selected an advisor.
On the one hand, you are told to take your time to think ideas through, take care to write interesting ideas, and then carefully respond to reviewers.
On the other hand, you are told that you only have a set number of years to finish the degree, so you must be quick to publish if you want a job.
It's an interesting tension - that often - is exacerbated by #dissertationadvisors.
On the one hand, your advisor may sometimes be very quick to evaluate and provide feedback - esp. when a project is just starting and the intellectual juices are flowing.
On the other hand, your #advisor may move slower than mud on a hot summer's day - esp. when a project has progressed from idea to detailed analysis or long working paper.
While #PhDStudents usually welcome the first phase, they all hate the second phase of a project - bc the job market won't wait.
So what to do? How do you manage your advisor? So that you can get timely feedback? Move papers forward? And have a relatively peaceful life?
First, recognize there are better & worse times to send your advisor emails and papers.
Friday at 5 PM is not a good idea (true story).
Ask your advisor about timing.
Second, email judiciously.
More than one or two emails a day - outside of email ping-pong - can become overwhelming - leading to your more important messages being ignored.
Third, send good work.
Advisors tend to delay looking at papers that take more time to review.
Fourth, learn to gently nudge.
Advisors really do become absent-minded as they age - esp. if they as they build deeper & more challenging portfolios.
If you don't hear from someone after a few days, schedule a cup of coffee.
If your advisor does remember, the guilt will make them provide feedback.
Fifth, send focused emails.
Subject lines - that convey timelines - really help.
Parsimonious emails with bullet points and action items help.
An email with a 100-page doc attached that says please provide feedback?
You will spend a lot of time in purgatory - just saying!
Sixth, be upbeat.
Learn to phrase requests and grievances in an upbeat way.
No one wants to read unhappy emails.
Finally, leverage the reciprocity norm.
Usually, advisors ask for as much as they give - maybe they ask for more? haha.
But, if you offer to help out and effectively communicate how you follow through, psychology suggests that most advisors will respond with timely help.
Managing any advisor is challenging - and not all advisors are reasonable - but if you try these few simple tips - you may notice a marked change in the speed with which you receive feedback.
Best of luck!
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