Excuse Me, Where's the Self-Help Section for Scientists?

Benchfly's Alan Marnett has adapted Stephen Covey's highly-successful self-help book — The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People — to the scientific community with his seven suggestions for habits of a successful scientist. Number one, "take charge of your bench," Marnett says. Own your projects and be proactive about developing them instead of waiting for instructions. Number two, set goals for your career. Marnett suggests writing them down and keeping the list in a place where you can see it everyday. The third habit is to prioritize your goals. "'Get a tenure track position' is an excellent goal, but maybe 'get into graduate school' should be a higher priority after college than looking through the classified ads for academic positions," Marnett says. He also suggests designing "win/win" experiments, listening before you speak ("proper communication is key"), and collaborating with other researchers. And most important? "Step away from the bench," Marnett says in tip number seven. Learning to become more efficient and more productive is important, he says, and that means learning new techniques, reading more papers, and taking the time to recharge your batteries.