The Mentoring and Communication Series is co-sponsored by The Graduate School and the Office of Postdoctoral Services.
Tues Sept 9, 11 am – 12:15 pm
WHAT: Communicating Your Strengths: A CliftonStrengths Workshop
This workshop has been cancelled due to low enrollment.
How do you describe your five greatest strengths? How can you leverage this information to communicate your capabilities to colleagues and potential employers? Using the CliftonStrengths assessment, this workshop will help you explore a new way to talk about your skills. We will investigate strategies for communicating your strengths to others, the challenges that your strengths might pose for you, and ways you can use information about your strengths to thrive in a team setting. Our facilitator is Melissa Bostrom, PhD, Senior Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Professional Development.
The online CliftonStrengths assessment is offered free to all registered participants in this limited-enrollment workshop open exclusively to Graduate School students and postdocs. If you have not yet taken the assessment, please request your code by Thurs Sept 4.
Thurs Oct 9, 10-11 am
WHAT: From Vision to Reality: 4 Steps to Creating & Executing Your Individual Development Plan
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6Ap7iL8xFQE423A
For better or for worse, your experiences and the training you receive as postdoctoral researchers and graduate students can greatly shape the rest of your career. However, there are strategies and resources that can increase your chances of getting what you came for. During this program, participants will learn how to develop clear and specific goals and objectives, along with a plan for executing them in an Individual Development Plan (IDP).
You’ll learn:
- An approach to setting meaningful, achievable goals aligned with your long-term vision.
- A structured planning routine to manage your time effectively.
- How to speak with your mentor about your goals and strategies to address any misalignments in expectations and needs.
Speaker: Dara Wilson-Grant is Director of Postdoctoral Career and Professional Development at the UNC-Chapel Hill Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. With over fifteen years experience providing career management education and counseling, Dara’s mission is to help individuals develop a framework for choosing a meaningful and rewarding career path, plus develop the skills necessary for a lifetime of career success.
Thurs Nov 13, 10-11 am
WHAT: Engaging Constructively in Conflict
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bejyC7B1WFgO8tw
Conflict is inevitable in work, research, and learning environments, and our approach to it determines whether it becomes a source of growth or disruption. This presentation examines the nature of conflict, common assumptions that shape our responses, and the difference between healthy and unhealthy conflict. Attendees will explore various types of conflict and be introduced to a conflict competence model that highlights its emotional, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions. Participants will learn strategies to assess and manage conflict productively, thereby strengthening both individual and team relationships.
Speaker: Jessica Kuchta-Miller, MA, JD, is the Duke University Ombuds. She holds a law degree with a certificate in Dispute Resolution and a master’s degree in counseling psychology. As a longtime mediator and qualified neutral, Jessica brings significant experience in training others in mediation, negotiation, conflict resolution, and communication skills. She is an active member of the International Ombuds Association (“IOA”), the largest professional association of organizational ombuds practitioners worldwide, and frequently teaches the Foundations of the Organizational Ombuds course while mentoring new Ombuds.
Weds Dec 3, 1-3 pm
WHAT: The Inclusive Research Mentor
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aidHyCZKfqq4pcW
College teaching extends beyond the classroom into research environments. Over the course of your career you may have the opportunity to mentor undergraduate students, graduate students, and/or postdoctoral fellows in research. Join us in this interactive, virtual workshop as we discuss inclusive approaches and behaviors that can be employed across disciplines. This workshop is facilitated by Courtnea Rainey PhD, Assistant Dean for Assessment & Evaluation in The Graduate School.
