Academic Woman Amplified

The coronavirus has been declared a pandemic, and this is affecting the academic community in significant ways. Universities are going online, travel is being canceled, and the impact is profound.  How can you finish the academic semester and continue your writing practice during this difficult time? In this episode, I’m sharing my recommendations for creating a minimum viable semester. Listen in to find out what this means and how to implement it.  Shift the Way You Think About the Semester In the world of business, there is a term called the “minimal viable product”, which is the simplest version of a product. Often a company starts with the minimal version, makes sure people like it, and then makes improvements.    In this situation we are going to do the opposite of that. We've set the syllabus and our semester in order, but now we have to drastically reduce what we thought we'd be able to do.   Empathy and Grace The two themes that I want you to keep in mind as you are developing your new semester are 

Are your working hours spilling over into nights and weekends as an academic? Do you feel powerless to squeeze everything into a ‘regular’ work week? This is the episode for you. As an academic woman, you undoubtedly have a lot on your plate. You may feel like there is simply no way to fit all the work into a regular work week. And if you enjoy working on the weekend, by all means, do it! But if you want to reclaim your extra hours for yourself, to spend with your family, just not working, there are things you can do to make that happen. This doesn’t mean that there will magically be less work. “There is always going to be more work in your academic career then there are hours in the day.” So how can we reduce the hours we work if we can't reduce the work itself?  By changing the way we approach it, in two ways: through utilizing systems and processes, and by changing our mindset.    Use Systems and Processes Academic culture is not always the best about passing on the kind of information that is helpful in m

What one thing is key to writing and publishing more? The answer is clarity. Without it, you’re inviting overwork, overwhelm, and a strain on your creative output.  In this first episode of a three part series, I’m showing you how getting clarity around your career goals not only turns overwhelm into purposeful work, but it actually kick starts your ability to write and publish more. In order to find this kind of crystal clarity, you need an academic mission statement. In all of my programs, this is where we start, with good reason!  In my Amplify program for pre-tenure women, we use a 9 spoke framework, with 3 main areas of focus. The first of the areas we focus on is clarity. Getting clear on your career purpose helps you define who you are as an academic, and where you’re going. Check out the graphic on my website to get an idea about our framework. We work through 3 steps to achieve true clarity.   Step 1: Academic Mission Statement If you don’t have an academic mission statement, you need one. This is a

Have you ever done professional development? So often, it feels like academics get professional development wrong. Usually, it’s done with a one-off training, but the problem is that there’s no follow through or follow up. There’s no relationship with the leader or the participants.  I want to help transform professional development for academic women. I've been in academia since 1998, and in all those years, I don’t remember any content from one-off trainings. Instead, I remember the relationships I developed along the way.  In this episode I’m talking about good professional development and the benefits that come from combining training, coaching and community.  “The way you are going to change your professional life is through the development of relationships, not through training or teachings you receive.” Training One-off trainings sound appealing because we think that if we just know a certain skill, we’ll be able to change the way we integrate writing into our career. In my coaching programs, the conte

It’s completely acceptable to get help with your writing, even as a full professor. So what does that look like in academic writing? I’m giving you the lowdown on what’s available for writing help. It’s important to understand that it is absolutely ok to get help with your writing. Savvy academics get help in a variety of ways in order to shape their writing into the best finished product it can be. On this episode of The Academic Woman Amplified I’m giving you an overview of what writing helps are available out there, from the many types of editors to coaches, and giving you the encouragement to find the right one for you.  Authorship  Different academic fields handle authorship differently. Science-based fields may attribute authorship to lab participants or people who contribute graphs, statistics, etc. In the humanities authorship is generally attributed only to those who actually write words for the publication.  However your particular field approaches this, getting writing help doesn’t affect whether o

What makes a writing practice, or any habit, sustainable? How do you create new practices that stick when the old ones aren’t serving you well anymore? Creating sustainable practices can be difficult, in writing and in life. Especially when what used to work for you may not work any more. It’s important to begin change from the right place if you want to create a lasting habit and get the results you’re looking for. In this episode I’m sharing some thoughts on sustainable practices, and how to change your mindset to achieve them. Sustainable Practices Look Different Over Time There is a saying in the business world that “what got you here, won’t get you there”. The same can be said for writing practices. Maybe when you were a PhD student, you had the ability to do binge writing sessions and had fewer constraints on your time and life. The habits that worked then won’t work now, and finding something that is sustainable in the midst of teaching, service work, or the tenure track can feel overwhelming. It’s imp

Why is it acceptable in our academic cultures to go to conferences, but less so to attend writing retreats? I’m diving in to the (evidence-based) benefits of retreats and how you can find one that works for you. Writing retreats might be viewed by some institutions as a vacation more than an important work activity, but that just isn’t true! Retreats are shown to have measurable positive effects on your writing and your career. That’s a win-win for everyone. In this episode of The Academic Woman Amplified I’m going deep on writing retreats to help you see the very real return on your investment. I’ll walk you through the evidence-based positive outcomes, give you tips on what to look for in a retreat, and share ideas for every level of retreat, from professional to DIY. Research on Benefits of Writing Retreats Writing retreats are good for your writing and provide ongoing benefits, and there is research to back this up.  A 2016 integrative review on academic writing retreats by Kornhaver, Cross, Betihavas, an

Writing is a practice that we probably all need to practice more. But it can be hard to get the ball rolling. I’m sharing 6 strategies to build momentum, so you can ride out the rough writing days and not let them stop you in your tracks. Momentum infuses writing with energy and helps your writing practice take on a life of its own. When you’ve created some writing momentum, you reduce guilt and overwhelm (writing’s two biggest enemies) because you feel like you’re on task and in charge. In this podcast episode I’m sharing six strategies to help you jump start a writing practice that has been on pause, or breathe new life into one that has begun to feel like a chore. Six Strategies for Creating Writing Momentum Strategy #1: Small, Consistent Sessions It would be awesome to have big, clear chunks of time for writing. But usually, we don’t. If you’re waiting for those times to magically appear, your writing practice may have stalled out.  To get it going again, aim for short, consistent sessions every day. Use

Academic culture makes us believe that the "traditional” path through academia is the “normal” path, and a “non-traditional” path is often code for “less-than”. Don’t believe it! Your path is valuable. Today I want to talk about disrupting this idea of the “traditional” path in academia.  So many of the women I talk to during the application process for Amplify and Elevate (our programs for pre-and post-tenure women on the tenure track) lead by saying that they haven’t taken the “traditional path” through academia. Here are some reasons: They had a baby during their PhD They worked a career between their undergrad and grad school  They became the associate director of a research center instead of getting a “traditional” tenure-track job They worked as an adjunct between their PhD and their tenure-track job They took longer than their cohort to graduate their PhD They worked at a teaching institution or an aspiring institution and so they didn’t build a line of research early in their careers, but they need t

As writers, we know the words we use matter. But what about the words we don’t use? The way we frame our thoughts matters. So what are some words I avoid using as a writing coach? In doing a little reflecting on what makes me different as a writing coach, and what my philosophy is about, I had a light bulb moment. Sometimes, what you don’t say (and why) defines your attitudes and actions as much as what you do say. So, on this episode of The Academic Woman Amplified I’m sharing 5 words that I avoid in relation to writing, and which words I choose instead.    Word #1: Bootcamp This word is the opposite of what I try to espouse for a writing practice and a culture of academia. It brings to mind struggle, physical endurance and even pain. I believe we need to move away from this kind of emphasis on struggle in our writing lives.  “In the culture of academia we spend way too much time glorifying struggle, glorifying busy, glorifying overwork.” Instead: Retreat  This word still implies an intense experience, and a

While January 1st can be seen as an arbitrary date, New Year’s feels like a clean slate. And because I believe that successful writing is all about how it feels, I would love for you to create some resolutions to help you start this year off on the right foot. A resolution is different than a goal, and very different than a plan. It is something that we resolve to do (and that usually takes deep resolve to keep doing). I suggest choosing something that you want to become a habit for you. Something that will make your life better.  You may also want to choose an overarching theme for your year, a big desire you have that will be your focus for the year. Be sure that your theme informs your decisions about how to structure the rest of your time, and that you tackle resolutions incrementally. To Make Your Resolution Stick, Make it Incremental Don’t try to make a huge, radical change all at once and expect it to stick; that’s how resolutions fail. Instead, plan to implement your resolution in “incremental upgrade

Need a gift for the academic woman in your life, or ideas for what to put on your own wish list?  In this episode of The Academic Woman Amplified, I’m sharing 5 of the books you should gift yourself or someone else to make this the best year yet for your professional life.    The Slow Professor: Challenging the Culture of Speed in the Academy by Maggie Berg and Barbara K. Seeber   The authors of The Slow Professor explain how academia is wrapped up in ‘fast capitalism’ and what that means. They point out patterns that show why we are being asked to do more and more with less and less time and how it leads to overwork and overwhelm. They give us ways to push back against these ideas and expectations, and point out the universal nature of these issues.  I especially love the introduction and first chapter, so if you read nothing else (although it’s a short read, you can do it!), be sure to read those.   Click here for a copy of The Slow Professor. Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff   The big

The culture in academia sets us up to see breaks as a time to catch up or get ahead. But should you spend break time writing? My answer as a writing coach might surprise you. As the semester reaches a crescendo, tasks pile up and it seems like there’s just not enough time to do it all. It gets very tempting to push things into break time. After all, you don’t have teaching tasks during break, so that’s the perfect time to finish those annoying tasks, right? Wrong. Break time should be just that, a break!    My First Suggestion for Break Take a break! Seriously, if there is any way at all that you can do it, I urge you to completely disconnect from academia over your break. You need that restorative pause in order to come back with a fresh, energized brain that is ready to think creatively. So if you can, take your whole break off. If you feel like you just have to get something done, consider following my 3 week framework. “Disconnecting from your work is vital to not burning out.” My 3 Week Framework for Bre

When you’re in a season of overwhelm you might feel like all you’re doing is putting out fires, and nothing is getting accomplished. On this episode I’m sharing how to work through the overwhelm and move the needle forward.  Are you at a point in your semester where overwhelm is taking over? If you are having trouble figuring out where to put your energy, distinguishing between what is important and what is urgent, or you can’t seem to decide what to focus on, you might be struggling with overwhelm. I’ve got some advice and practical ideas for cutting through the distractions and staying on track.   Combating General Overwhelm When you’re feeling like nothing is getting done and you can’t focus, it’s important to set yourself up to make progress where you can. Here are some simple ways to do that.   1.  Do a brain dump. Find a place that is easy to access and write down All The Things. Put everything on this list that is bumping around in your brain and stressing you out. I recommend making the list somewhere

So often our (lack of) writing makes us feel guilty and overwhelmed. Why is that? What can you do to change it up by changing the way you think about your writing and how it fits into your academic career?  Guilt is the biggest killer of writing productivity for academic women. In this episode we are learning how to cultivate a positive relationship with writing by fighting back against the guilt. I’m giving you concrete ways to shift your mindset, move writing up on the priority list, and show your writing a little love. Why Do We Feel Guilty? Academic women often share with me a sense of guilt around their writing process. No one wants to do something out of a sense of guilt. The first step to eliminating those negative feelings is to drill down to some of the reasons we feel guilty in the first place. The ‘shoulds’. We as women are often plagued by a long list of ‘shoulds’. We feel like we ‘should’ have gotten more done than we did; we think we ‘should’ be able to manage “all the things”, and we can’t; we

Sometimes it feels like writing and teaching are at odds in our academic lives, but they’re not! There are ways to level out your teaching tasks, create more room for all your responsibilities, and give yourself a more comfortable semester experience.  When you are in the throes of the busiest times of your semester, you may feel overwhelmed, like you can’t possibly keep balancing all the different plates you have in the air. You might be behind on grading, swamped with prep, and doing more hand-holding for students who are also feeling the crunch. On episode 10, I talked about how to approach these times in the semester and still keep your writing in your plans. On this episode, I’m talking about teaching; survival tips to manage your teaching right now, and ideas for creating more space in the future.  Creating Breathing Room in Your Teaching Right Now Here are some ways to manage teaching to give you a little space to breath. Remember that tweaking things to make them doable at this stage in the semester i

Academic years ebb and flow; some parts of a semester are much busier than others. As your semester ramps up, your writing might need to take a backseat, but make sure you have a plan to bring it back to the center. Semesters have pretty predictable pattern. In a traditional North American semester system of 15 weeks, things start coming to a head around week 10. You may notice any of the following:   You have more than one assignment waiting for grading. You’re officially “backlogged.” There are so many meetings and reports due. You consider pushing the reports until the end of the semester, after grades are in, which means they’ll be late. But something's gotta give. Panicked students are starting to show up at office hours, which means you can’t use that time for other things. Your lesson plans used to be typed out neatly, but now they are jotted on a sticky note on the back of your hand, or stuck to your growing pile of grading. You’ve been making time to write, but now those 1-2 hours once or twice a we

Nothing feels worse than having a piece of writing you’ve worked hard on rejected or criticized. But, it’s part of the academic life, so I’m teaching you how to deal with it in a healthy and positive way that will improve your writing and help get your message out there.  On this episode we’re going to talk about 3 different types of feedback you might receive, how to spot the differences between them and how to respond. I’ll also tell you about an excellent resource to help with your mindset, and why you should consider disconnecting from both praise and criticism.    3 Types of Writing Criticism and How to Respond   1. Posturing  It should come as no surprise to anyone that there is a lot (I mean A LOT) of posturing in academia. The pressure is always on to sound smart, to respond to other people’s work in a way that shows what you’ve read and where you situate your work in the world. That’s not necessarily bad and it’s certainly part of the job. But sometimes that pressure to posture seeps into everything,

Burnout is a real thing for academics. I know you know this, but you might not know exactly what “pre-burnout” looks like, and what to do if you feel like you might be on the edge of a burnout. On this podcast episode, I’m sharing the stories of two times that I got very close to burning out, how I dealt with it, and what I’m doing to keep a comfortable pace right now. I’m sharing some red flags to help you recognize the signs of pre-burnout in yourself, as well as an exercise to help you control the pace of your academic life so academia feels good to you.  My stories My first burnout situation came when my infant son became extremely sick. About two weeks into the semester, after I went back to work from maternity leave, my 10-month-old son stopped breathing while I was nursing him to sleep one night.  This was the beginning of the 10 most horrible days of my life.  By late October I was so exhausted and strained that I could not continue. If I didn’t take action I would end up in the hospital myself. So I

Continuous learning through professional development is a key way to accomplish the goals that you and your university share. On this podcast episode, I’m sharing tips and ideas for how to get funding for professional development from your institution.  Although it sometimes might not seem like it, your administration really wants you to succeed--to get tenure, to get promoted, and to stay at your institution. They spent a lot of money finding you. They definitely want to keep you. So guess what? They should be paying for your professional development! But they never will unless you ask. Not sure where to start? Let’s jump in. Here are three steps you can take to successfully request professional development funding from your university.   Step 1: Identify all the Possible Sources I have been offering professional development to women professors for a long time and I have seen everyone from students to full professors get funding, even when they thought they couldn’t use start-up or grant money, or their univ