OPD - February 3 2020 Positive Strategies for Success

• List OPD training on CV. Demonstrates growth mindset. To briefly sum up the findings: Individuals who believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others) have a growth mindset. Available at: https://hbr.org/2016/01/what-having-a-growth-mindset-actually-means
• Have a research strategy e.g Finish PhD and publish an article
• Go for one opportunity a month
• Friday afternoons are best for email time (avoids lengthy chat). Monday morning if wanting a reply
• Build in networking to professional development strategy
• Introduce myself to Anita Taylor (Dean of DJCAD) at the next opportunity. (Completed at the Research Committee meeting, as PhD rep)
• Research seed funding and mentorship at St Andrews, Glasgow and Edinburgh
• Negotiate - all participants have a voice
• When attending a conference, research participants beforehand. To speak to a key person, who may be talking in a group, interrupt as follows: Walk up to the group and say "Sorry to interrupt I wanted to introduce myself.  I'm Andrea from (name institution and take a step forward) "researching X". Make eye contact junior to senior. Shake hands. Compliment professor on their talk etc and ask what others are working on. Open and close and say hope to see you tomorrow. Follow up with an email six weeks later.
• Personal action plan. What will I do differently? Calculate writing and a schedule  and a weekly word goal. Why will I do it? To make my thesis manageable and to adopt a positive strategy and thinking. How will I measure my success? Each Friday tally amount and update blog.
• Productivity App. Visual representation of my dream
• Read: Dunleavy, P. (2003). Authoring a PhD : How to plan, draft, write and finish a doctoral thesis or dissertation (Palgrave study guides). Basingstoke: Palgrave.