Bob Doherty Role: Professor of Marketing and Sustainable & Responsible BusinessDiscipline: Business and MarketingInstitution: University of York Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story I spent thirteen years in the agri-food industry before entering academia in 2003. I had been Head of Sales and Marketing at Divine Fair Trade Chocolate for five years, and that experience gave me networks, practical insight and credibility across the science–policy–industry boundary. I entered academia without a PhD, running a Master’s programme while completing my doctorate part-time. My early research focused on individual organisations like Divine, but over time I deliberately pivoted towards examining food systems more broadly. I realised that if you want to address big challenge problems, you need to adopt a systems approach and build interdisciplinary teams. Collaboration has been central throughout my career. You should never underestimate the convening power of being an academic. We have independence and legitimacy that allow us to bring together people from industry, government and civil society. During my DEFRA secondment, for example, I was able to assemble industry leaders within days because of those networks. Some myths did …
From Magic Circle solicitor to Professor: choosing intrinsic satisfaction, surviving career traps and learning that “good enough” really is good enough
Contributor role: Professor Discipline: Law Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story I began my career training and working as a Solicitor in a Magic Circle law firm in London. During my training, I took a secondment that helped me realise that what I most enjoyed was legal research. I could see that as I became more senior in practice, I would do less of the work I loved because I would simply become too expensive for clients to use for detailed research. My role would have been to check what others had done. I tested the waters by teaching for the Open University while still in practice. I realised I loved both teaching and the sense that I was making a positive, direct difference to students. So I took what felt like a bold step and applied for a funded PhD. Many colleagues were bewildered that I would leave a lucrative and promising legal career to become a student again. But I wanted a career that felt intrinsically satisfying. My PhD was hard going. In my third year, I became …
Moving institutions into a professorial role, overcoming imposter syndrome, and learning to prioritise the work that really matters
Anonymous contributor Role: Professor of Biomechanics Discipline: Medical Engineering Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story I did my PhD, post doc and academic career up to Associate Professor at the University of Leeds between 2004 and 2022. I then moved institution to take up a professorial role at the University of Sheffield. The move, particularly as I was effectively being promoted to Professor, generated a lot of imposter syndrome. I was extremely anxious about leaving somewhere I was established and worried that people would not like me coming in at a senior level. I doubted myself more than I expected to. It turned out that those fears were not real. I genuinely feel that I joined my tribe when I moved. I have been very well supported and have had many opportunities. Looking back, I would tell myself not to judge my worth by other people’s interest in working with me and to try not to doubt myself so much. Within my new role, I have taken on responsibilities beyond my own research, including being PGR Lead within the School. The …
From flood engineer to boundary-spanning impact fellow: designing a career at the intersection of science, policy and lived experience.
Martina Egedusevic Role: Impact FellowDiscipline: Nature based solutionsInstitution: University of Exeter Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story My career sits at the intersection of engineering, environmental science and public decision-making. I trained as a hydraulic engineer in Serbia and spent seven years working on flood protection and river basin management across the Danube, Sava and Morava catchments. The 2014 Balkan floods were a turning point for me personally and professionally. My family home was affected, and I experienced first-hand the gap between emergency response and long-term risk reduction. That experience led me to pursue a PhD in Natural Flood Management in Scotland, focusing on how land use change and woodland creation influence flood risk. Since then, my work has increasingly moved across sectors: academia, consultancy, government, NGOs and communities. I have worked on nature-based solutions, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation in the UK and internationally. I am currently an Impact Fellow at the University of Exeter, working closely with policymakers, practitioners and communities to translate research into real-world change. Looking back, I would tell myself that impact does not come from doing …
From always volunteering to choosing deliberately: learning that saying no can protect both progression and wellbeing.
Candice Majewski Role: Senior Lecturer Discipline: Engineering Institution: University of Sheffield Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story For many years, I have been someone who always volunteers for things and always tries to help out when needed. Being that person has generally made me feel content in my academic role. I value being a good team player and contributing to the Department in a variety of ways. However, it has also meant that I have not progressed as well as I could or perhaps should have in other areas, particularly research, which is a key and absolute requirement for career progression. Looking back, I would tell myself this: it is important to be a good team player, but that does not mean it always has to be you doing all the things. One myth I have had to unlearn is that saying no will make people think I am no longer a helpful or good member of the team. That has not been true. In reality, most people understand, and in many cases respect, clearer boundaries. For those who don’t, I’m not necessarily the one in the wrong… Over time, I have become more selective about what I say yes to …
Be strategic with your time investment – set triaging criteria
This video from the Academic’s Success Guide, explains how using ‘triaging’ can help you to filter out the most meaningful opportunities, prioritise your work and be clear about what you say yes or no to in both the long and short term. It also helps you to find constructive language when saying yes and no to colleagues (or yourself!). “Initially I wanted to agree to all research projects. But I have diverse interests and my group started to feel incoherent and fragmented. Through a training session I was encouraged to give my lab a “vision” and “mission”. I also explicitly classified the projects into subgroups. I try not to take on any work that cannot fit into the vision/mission or groups. This has helped bring all lab members toward a common goal and helped define what I do to external parties.” Benjamin Lichman, Senior Research Fellow / Senior Lecturer, University of York. Read more from Benjamin. What will you take forward? One thing to try: What simple triaging criteria could you use to decide more confidently what to say yes to, no to, or not now, the next time an opportunity comes your way?
Be mindful of your capacity – use the Ferris wheel test
A simple metaphor for time and capacity management. As an established researcher, the challenge is rarely a lack of opportunity. It is managing too many meaningful, worthwhile requests within finite time and energy. Advice to “just say no” often feels unrealistic given the relational, reputational, and leadership dimensions of academic work. The Ferris wheel offers a practical way to think about capacity. Imagine yourself as the Ferris wheel operator. You are responsible for a ride with a fixed number of carriages. Each carriage has a clear capacity. Once they are full, adding more people isn’t generous or helpful. It’s unsafe, uncomfortable, and leads to a poor experience for everyone already on board. Overfilled Ferris wheels are often the result of saying yes to things you genuinely want to do: interesting projects, good collaborators, work that matters. This metaphor isn’t about disengagement. It’s about realism, including recognising that sometimes you have to say no even to opportunities you value. (This links closely to the idea of fishing sustainably from a river: you have to let some fish go). A good operator doesn’t overpromise when the wheel is full. They explain the risks of boarding and the wait time, allowing passengers to …
Be strategic with your time investment: Pay your future self
Many established researchers describe working in a constant state of response: dealing with urgent requests, keeping projects moving, and absorbing the needs of others. Over time, this can create a sense of firefighting, fatigue, and guilt about the work that never quite happens. This short exercise offers a way to step back and think more strategically about how you invest your time and attention. The Two-Account Idea: Most of us accept that in everyday life we need to manage both a current account to get by day to day and a pension account to look after our future self, and that neglecting either one eventually creates problems. Imagine your work time as being split between two accounts: If we only pay into the current account, we may cope in the short term but make life harder for our future self. A Short Reflection Without judging yourself, take a few minutes to consider: Now imagine a brief end-of-week review with your future self: One Small Shift: Rather than aiming for major change, consider one deliberate adjustment: A Prompt to Keep in Mind: At the end of a busy day or week, ask yourself:If my future self were reviewing this week, would …
Avoid overload: use digital wellbeing strategies
Researchers often work in digitally dense environments, characterised by high email volumes, overlapping meetings, multiple platforms, and frequent interruptions. The Digital Wellbeing Booklet explores how everyday digital practices can shape attention, workload, and perceived pressure at work. It introduces a set of practical, research-informed strategies that encourage readers to reflect on and experiment with their own digital habits. These include approaches to: In particular, take a look at the ‘Email Charter’ on page 24, to improve the way emails are used and the impact they have. Taken together, the booklet offers a structured way for established researchers to think critically about how digital tools are used in practice, and how small, intentional changes might support more sustainable and manageable working patterns alongside existing academic demands. What will you take forward? One thing to try: What digital habit causes the most disruption in your workday, and what simple change will you try to reduce its impact?
Five practical ways to save time on email using AI
Be careful not to share confidential information and adhere to any institutional guidance, such as on the choice of AI platforms. Finally, it’s not an AI solution, but a related resource is the ‘Email Charter’ on page 24 of the Digital Wellbeing Booklet. It lays out ten approaches to improve the way emails are used and the impact they have. What will you take forward? One thing to try: Which AI tool, if implemented immediately, would save you the most time or effort when managing your emails?
Ten quick time management tips, from academics, for academics
This download from Imperial explains 10 time management tips that have been suggested or used by academics and researchers. What will you take forward? One thing to try: Which one small change from these tips would make the biggest difference if you tried it this month?
Are you being efficient? Notice how you use time and energy in your day
This time management video introduces the ‘rocks of time’ idea that will help you to recognise how you spend packages of time throughout the day and to reflect on whether you are viewing and ordering your tasks in the most efficient and strategic way. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Which big rock deserves more protected time in your diary than it currently receives?
Using AI to ease pain points and time sinks: starting points
Be careful not to share confidential information and adhere to any institutional guidance, such as on the choice of AI platforms. AI can be most useful to established researchers when it helps reduce friction in everyday leadership and management work rather than adding another capability to master. The examples below link common leadership pain points to light-touch, practical ways AI is already being used by senior academics and professional leaders to save time and mental energy. This is not about replacing academic expertise, automating judgement, or outsourcing intellectual work. It is not about using AI to write research papers, assess students, or bypass institutional responsibilities. Instead, it focuses on small, ethical, time-saving uses of AI that support clarity, reflection, and effectiveness in leadership and management roles, while keeping academic judgement, accountability, and integrity firmly with the individual. Common academic/ research leadership pain points and how AI can help: Where to explore further What will you take forward? One thing to try: Which everyday task that currently drains disproportionate time or energy, will you safely ease with AI support?
Be strategic with your time investment – apply the 80/20 rule
The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, states that roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. Although the principle came from observations of unequal wealth distribution, it has also been applied to think about use of resources for maximum productivity and might help you think about where to best target your effort. This blog on the Pareto Principle, written by an academic with a keen interest in productivity, shares examples of applying the principle to identify the 20% in your teaching, research and service that really makes a difference, in order to focus your efforts on that, and worry less about polishing the 80%. How might you apply this in some of the work you are engaged with at the moment? How will you identify the thing that really matters and ring-fence time to focus on that aspect, rather than on the noise? What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Where might 20% of your effort be generating most of your impact, and how could you protect more time for that?
Strategies for saying no effectively to allow for more deep work
Cal Newport is an author and computer science professor who is known for his work on productivity, digital minimalism, and the impact of technology on society. His writing on ‘deep work’ resonates with academics because it uses and gives examples from academia and research and, in this podcast on The Art of Saying No, he shares several strategies for saying no effectively, including: The “art of no” discussion is in the Deep Dive section of the podcast between 07:06 and 23:45. All of Cal Newport’s resources are available on his The Deep Life website. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: What kind of deep work do you most want to protect, and what would it feel like to make significant progress with it?
Step out of the ‘Waiting Room’ for the mythical quiet periods
Stop postponing your plans, waiting for things to “calm down” or expecting your diary to magically clear after a certain date. That horizon you envision is elusive – no matter how close you get, it will always fill up with new commitments. We often have an overly optimistic view of how much time our future selves will have, but this is rarely accurate. Take some time to review your calendar from the past year or so. Identify recurring themes and activities and reflect on how long these tasks actually took in reality, not just how long you think they took now that time has passed. Consider examples such as: Using these insights, pre-populate your diary for the next two years with realistic estimates of these generic activities. Your diary will soon fill. If, in the end, some of these commitments don’t materialise, you’ll find yourself with bonus free time to enjoy or reallocate. What will you take forward? One thing to try: What are you currently postponing for a mythical quiet period, and what would be the worst that could happen if you started anyway?
Create a Gantt Chart – even if it’s imperfect and you only do it once!
Gantt charts are divisive in the planning world – love them or hate them, they can save time and aid influence and negotiation. While often criticised for being created then ignored, they hold value even as a one-off exercise. Why? Even an imperfect Gantt chart can clarify milestones, highlight potential workload bottlenecks, and prompt decisions. Use them to suggest ideal deadlines, demonstrate periods of high pressure, and justify changes in priorities, rescheduling, or resource requests. Visual timelines make it easier to persuade others than simply claiming, “I won’t have capacity then.” Gantt charts also help identify lighter periods for progressing lower-priority tasks or scheduling breaks. They reveal task dependencies to encourage timely completions and highlight independent activities that can be tackled during quieter spells. Moreover, they foster realistic expectations about task durations and clarify mutual support timelines within teams. Not sure how to make a start? Learn more here in the Research Whisperers blog that gives a simple guide to creating a Gantt Chart. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: What would become easier to explain or negotiate if you could show your workload visually rather than holding it in your head?
Peer Discussion Guide: Working smarter with the time you have
This guide is designed for peer-facilitated discussion to help you get more from the established researcher resources. It curates a small selection of related resources and offers a light structure for reflection and conversation. They are not training sessions. They are structured opportunities to pause, think, and learn with others. There is no expert facilitator in the room. Everyone participates as an equal, taking shared responsibility for holding the structure, time, and quality of the conversation. Our Peer Discussion Guides Find out more about our Peer Discussion Guides and how you can use them to help you get more from our established researcher resources.
Peer Discussion Guide: Protecting your time (saying yes, no, and not now)
This guide is designed for peer-facilitated discussion to help you get more from the established researcher resources. It curates a small selection of related resources and offers a light structure for reflection and conversation. They are not training sessions. They are structured opportunities to pause, think, and learn with others. There is no expert facilitator in the room. Everyone participates as an equal, taking shared responsibility for holding the structure, time, and quality of the conversation. Our Peer Discussion Guides Find out more about our Peer Discussion Guides and how you can use them to help you get more from our established researcher resources.
Peer Discussion Guide: Being more strategic with your time and workload
This guide is designed for peer-facilitated discussion to help you get more from the established researcher resources. It curates a small selection of related resources and offers a light structure for reflection and conversation. They are not training sessions. They are structured opportunities to pause, think, and learn with others. There is no expert facilitator in the room. Everyone participates as an equal, taking shared responsibility for holding the structure, time, and quality of the conversation. Our Peer Discussion Guides Find out more about our Peer Discussion Guides and how you can use them to help you get more from our established researcher resources.
Explore tailored research leadership resources
Established researchers express a wide range of leadership and management needs such as recruitment, performance conversations, delegation, effective meetings, coaching and mentoring skills etc. There is an overwhelming amount of advice out there: some relevant to established researchers, some less so. Rather than re-create it all here, we recommend and connect you directly to open access resources that are tailored to research and academic leaders: What will you take forward? One thing to consider: What is one leadership challenge you’re dealing with at the moment? Which single external resource could you engage with this week to move forward?