S01E27 – Working as a Team in Higher Education for Graduate Students and New Faculty, Discussions of Self Reflection, Adaptation, and Role Confusion in Academia.

Summary: In this episode of the Unlikely Academics, Jenny, Tommy, and Chris discuss the challenges of working within various teams and new situations where the rules are unclear. They discuss working in research teams, faculty committees, and in new academic departments and how people cannot assume the same rules of engagement always apply at all times and all contexts. They discuss how politics and interpersonal dynamics can shape team goals and outcomes. They explore the importance of assigning roles and responsibilities within a team, being explicit regarding expectations, and approaching groups, new academic departments, or teams as a new culture. Just like visiting a new country or place, we are mindful of what we say or do as not to be misunderstood. We must make a similar assumption when in a new context, even with those we may have known for a long time or worked with in the past. Only then can we best protect ourselves from the common pitfalls of stress, emotionally charged situations, and politics when dealing with others even when we consider our team members as long-time friends. Ultimately this approach results in avoiding groupthink, laying out a clear plan with responsibilities, and setting expectations regarding team outcomes. The hosts end with an impromptu discussion offering feedback to each other regarding things each host would like to see the other improve in group work as a real and frank conversation.