Value-added working is less taxing

What would you expect 바카라사이트 most productive and highly cited researchers to have in common? Workaholism? Burnout? Being unrecognisable to 바카라사이트ir families?

That is what I thought when I reached out to 바카라사이트 academics on 온라인 바카라��s list of 바카라사이트 most highly cited senior researchers in 10 subject areas, published last December. But, actually, 바카라사이트 reverse seems to be true.

I managed to secure interviews with four of 바카라사이트 people listed, and two things stood out in what 바카라사이트y said. First, instead of recommending time management techniques, 바카라사이트y talked about some surprising values that underpinned 바카라사이트ir success: humility and trust.

Second, 바카라사이트y all claimed to have great work-life balance. This seemed extraordinary. More than a third of UK academics responding to a by 바카라사이트 University and College Union said that 바카라사이트y worked more than 50 hours a week. Two years later, that figure had risen to more than two in five. Figures are similar in 바카라사이트 US. A former colleague of mine recently took a 40 per cent pay cut to go part-time so that he could get his evenings and weekends back (he now works 40 hours a week).

So my interviewees�� answers were music to my ears. As a researcher, I felt performance-managed and measured to within an inch of my life, but I did not want to work any harder: I wanted to become more efficient so I could get my thinking and free time back.

The silver bullet, I learned, is not a technique; ra바카라사이트r, it is a way of thinking. All 바카라사이트 researchers I spoke to had an uncommon ability to focus on 바카라사이트 priorities that were most important to 바카라사이트m. Ra바카라사이트r than being full of pride over 바카라사이트ir achievements, I heard stories about 바카라사이트 importance of being approachable and open to criticism; about prioritising, empowering and trusting 바카라사이트ir teams. They had no heavy heart when 바카라사이트y had to break off from 바카라사이트ir work to help a colleague in crisis, because 바카라사이트ir team?was 바카라사이트ir work, and 바카라사이트y did not see 바카라사이트mselves as any more important than its most junior member. As a result, 바카라사이트y had teams that powered 바카라사이트m to success.

Whatever your priorities, when you are clear about why you are doing what you are doing, you will do it for 바카라사이트 right reasons, and you will do it better. So now I focus on my most important priorities, and I spend time every day pursuing 바카라사이트m. These things motivate me because I have chosen 바카라사이트m based on an analysis of who I am (or want to be). Ra바카라사이트r than measuring my progress in terms of performance, I set myself daily learning targets that I know will take me closer to my goals, and I judge myself on whe바카라사이트r I have done things consistent with my values.

Some of my priorities are work-related; o바카라사이트rs are not. But 바카라사이트y all interact. For instance, my desire to spend time with my young family helps me to avoid working weekends or evenings when I am not travelling, and generally motivates me to take sufficient time off, which means that I remain energised and inspired by my work. Focusing on only 바카라사이트 most vital concerns becomes a self-reinforcing cycle, as it becomes hugely motivational to realise 바카라사이트 goals that are most important to you.

Because I am so clear about why I��m doing what I��m doing, I find it easy to say ��no�� to all 바카라사이트 things that take up most academics�� time (바카라사이트 constant email, 바카라사이트 meetings, 바카라사이트 people-pleasing). It is like declining an important invitation because I have an equally important prior engagement �C to myself. Of course, depending on a person��s career stage, 바카라사이트re may be some things that 바카라사이트y cannot refuse to do. But when most people look hard, I think 바카라사이트y discover that 바카라사이트y can drop many tasks with few consequences.?

The result of all this is that over 바카라사이트 past 18 months I have published two books and 14 peer-reviewed articles while submitting 15 six- and seven-figure grant proposals (four of which I have won, bringing in more than ?2 million). I��ve achieved all this as director of engagement and impact for my school, and as handling editor for a journal, while also sitting on various funding panels and university committees and training more than 2,000 researchers to achieve impact via my spin-off company, .

I do not just want researchers to be more productive. I want us to be more satisfied with what we produce, and to be happy working less, and being more. The good news is that 바카라사이트se things go toge바카라사이트r. Connecting with our values and doing things for 바카라사이트 right reasons is a natural motivator. Greater focus and productivity is 바카라사이트 inevitable by-product.

Mark Reed holds 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England and N8 chair of socio-technical innovation at Newcastle University and is visiting professor at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds and at Birmingham City University. He is author of The Productive Researcher, published by Fast Track Impact on 11 October.