Lab Dynamics: Social, serious, or somewhere in between?
The energy and attitude of a lab can have direct consequences on your productivity, job satisfaction and mental health. As a grad student, you will spend the majority of your time in your office/lab, and your co-workers and PI become like a family as you go through the ups and downs of graduate life. Sometimes an extremely dysfunctional family, but a family nonetheless!
If you’re thinking of joining a lab, or even if you’re already committed to one, it’s worth asking yourself, “What type of environment would make me happy?”. It will greatly benefit you when you consider moving to a new workplace.
If you’re not sure where to start, consider the following questions:
Is it important for you to have a close bond with your lab-mates outside of lab, or are you ok with only while you’re at work?
What level of professionalism/distance do you want from your PI?
Do you like to chat during work hours, or do you prefer to get your work done as efficiently as possible?
How do you feel about music in the lab? Are there ground rules you feel should be in place (ex: asking the other lab members before playing on the stereo)?
Do you want to work closely with other students/postdocs on projects, or do you prefer to have something that is totally yours?
Will you be a minority in terms of gender or ethnicity/race? Is the environment supportive and open to discussion about your unique experiences/difficulties?
What does the lab do for lunch? Do they eat together, or do people generally take breaks whenever their experiments allow?
How does the PI resolve disputes between lab members? Do they get involved, or prefer to stay out of any disagreements and let the lab members fend for themselves?
Does the PI put students on similar projects to foster competition? Does this sound like something that would motivate you, or hinder you?
How do decisions get made? Does everyone have an equal say, or is there a clear ranking of seniority?
How are the chores divvied up?
Do people work together to solve problems, or are people generally more solitary in finding their own solutions?
How hands-on is the PI? How involved are they in the day-to-day lives of their students? How does this make you feel?
There are no right or wrong answers, and this list certainly isn’t the end of what you can ask, but it’s a good place to get started. For example, it might be tempting to consider highly social labs because they seem to be the most “fun”, but if you’re a person who tends to be very focused on your work-tasks, this environment might cause tension over time if you feel that your productivity is being interrupted by people approaching you to talk/hang out. Similarly, although a younger/more hands-on PI might initially seem pleasing because they are enthusiastic and eager to take on students, if you are someone who likes a more hands-off approach, their mentorship style could seem overbearing to you after a while.
Also keep in mind that a lab environment can change over time as people graduate and join. So, even though your lab might not be the most social right now, you could play a hand in changing that dynamic by helping to recruit new members to the lab who have similar social interests to you! On the flip side, if your lab environment has taken a turn for the worse, just know that nothing is permanent, and again, you have the power to help shape the future dynamic of your workplace! :)
If you’re in a lab currently, or have been in the past:
What are the things that you considered when you were joining?
Looking back now, what do you wish you’d known (about yourself or your lab)?
Do you have any other advice for future graduate students or postdocs looking for a lab?
Feel free to comment or send me messages/asks, and I will share them!
jacobvanloon
germansingergirl
theartofmadeline
snowghoul
titsay
izzy806
