To any of you who are walking down the aisle this month:
KUDOS & CONGRATULATIONS!
Advisor Management Tip: Attach a Memo
-
Have you ever handed in a draft of your chapter and heard nothing
back for weeks? Or months?
-
Have you ever made the changes your advisor suggested only to get
entirely different criticisms back on the revised version?
-
Have you gotten drafts back from your advisor with so few comments – either
positive or negative – that you feel completely adrift
and unguided?
If any of these situations are familiar, then you need to implement
advisor management strategies. Here’s a first step:
Attach a memo to every piece of writing you give to your advisor.
Why are memos needed?
BECAUSE YOUR DISSERTATION IS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN TO YOUR ADVISOR.
Somewhere, on an intellectual basis, you know your advisor isn’t
thinking about your research every waking moment. But on an emotional
level it is hard to keep this truth in mind. The dissertation is so central
to your life that it is easy to forget that other peoples’ lives
don’t revolve around it.
To succeed as a graduate student and position yourself as a star student,
you need to remember that your dissertation is a top priority for you,
and only you. Your interactions with your advisor need to show that you
take full responsibility for the content and progress of your dissertation.
Memos are one way to show your advisor that you are taking the lead
role in keeping track of your research project. Most students I work
with just stick a dissertation chapter in their advisor’s mailbox
or attach the document in a short email that says something like “here’s
the first chapter.”
Don’t do this! Handing in a draft without a memo asks your advisor
to remember what this document is, what stage it is at, and what he or
she is supposed to do with it. You are, in effect, asking your advisor
to keep your project at the forefront of his or her mind.
Your memo announces to your advisor, “This dissertation is my
top priority (not yours) so I’ll keep track of where we are in
the process and what I need from you.” It also helps you present
yourself as a responsible, proactive academic by reminding your advisor
exactly what you are handing in, stating what type of feedback would
be useful and asking when your advisor will be able to read the draft.
For example, a memo might say something along these lines:
Dear xxx,
Here is the revised draft of my second chapter.
When we last met,
you suggested that I address the following issues:
- Brief description
of Issue A.
- Description of Issue B.
- Description of
Issue C.
To address problem “A”, I’ve added three
paragraphs on page x.
To address problem “B”, I’ve
significantly changed two sections on page y and z.
I still have questions
about Issue C: I’ve tried to address them on pages xx and xx
but would appreciate any additional comments you might have about this
topic, especially my applications of the Q theory and use of X methodology.
Although we haven’t discussed it, I’ve also tightened up
the introduction and would appreciate you taking the time to see how
it works better now. It is always helpful to know the sections where
you think I’m on track, as well as the places there are still
problems.
To make it easier for you to find these revised sections,
I’ve highlighted them in red.
Would it be convenient to meet
in a couple of weeks to review these changes? If you have time, my
schedule is very flexible the week of xxx, except for when I teach
on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Is there a specific time that would
work well for you?”
The core of the memo is the “what,” “why” and “when” of
the material you are submitting. The wording will vary depending on the
nature of your relationship with your advisor. You’ll want to make
the tone of your memo warm and casual, or professional and formal, depending
on the style of your usual interactions. But whether your memo is a quick
handwritten note, or an obsessively detailed email message, the
underlying message is: “I want to make reviewing this draft as
easy as possible for you.”
Benefits of the memo:
1) It takes your advisor less time to review your draft.
2) It presents you as mature, professional and proactive.
3) You are more likely to get useful, focused critiques.
4) It gives you the chance to ask for positive as well as critical feedback.
5) You are less likely to have your advisor change courses or go off on
new tangents.
One common complaint I hear from grad students is that their advisors
change their minds about what they’ve said earlier. Students revise
work based on comments of their advisor. They hand in the new draft,
wait forever for the feedback, and then get a list of new suggestions
about completely different points. Sometimes advisors even contradict
previous advice – criticizing the revisions they’ve previously
requested. Memos create a paper trail that can protect you from the whims
of your advisor.
So, WRITE A MEMO. It’s polite, professional,
proactive and self-protective.
Good luck,
|
