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This short, interactive session will introduce the fundamental principles of Lean - a methodology which prioritises continuous improvement and respect for people.

Lean is a philosophy and way of working which removes waste from activities and ensures that emphasis is given to tasks that provide added value. Originally developed by Toyota, it is now widely used across many sectors including the NHS and Higher Education.

During this masterclass for postdocs, you will:

• gain a high-level understanding of continuous improvement tools and techniques, and how you can apply them
• develop skills to identify and remove waste in your day-to-day activities to become more effective and efficient.

Most people find it challenging to take decisions and action under uncertain conditions.

But there are practical ways to cope with uncertainty, using simple techniques which we can practise and implement in our daily lives.

Using these skills, we can make uncertainty work to our advantage, fuelling creativity, problem solving and teamwork.

This workshop is an opportunity to experience uncertainty in a safe environment and become comfortable thinking on your feet. We will borrow tools from improvisation theatre and cognitive sciences to help you experiment and learn strategies to harness uncertainty to your benefit.

Feedback from postdocs who attended the training in July 2021:

• “Really great experience. Mostly, I think it helps a lot with confidence and also with tuning your listening skills and your respect for what others say and do. You can't predict things and need to embrace them as they come, and this is so useful in both personal and work life.”
• “I liked the positive messages it gave for approaching my research - sometimes it’s best not to overthink but go with the obvious, or if things go wrong (even repeatedly) just forget about them and keep trying something new.”

Powerful presentation skills can be critical in winning support for your ideas, establishing partnerships, spreading your message, or simply getting a job.

This highly interactive workshop series covers the secrets of public speaking, from a compelling opening and the magic of storytelling, to the effective use of body language and interactions to help your talk come alive.

The two half-day workshops will include:

The Essentials of Presentations

• How to open well and impress from the outset.
• Crafting an ending that leaves your words ringing in the ears of an audience.
• Being clear on your narrative for concise and effective storytelling.
• Adapting your message for any audience.

Visuals

• How much information to put on a slide.
• Effective use of images.
• Elegant use of data to convince rather than overwhelm.

The Magic of Storytelling

• The impact of stories over facts.
• How to tell a compelling story.
• The pillars of persuasion - credibility, emotion and logic.

Advanced Presentation Skills

• How to use character, authenticity and body language to your advantage.
• Turning your talk into a captivating dialogue.
• Using signposting and soundbites to make your most important points stand out.
• Dealing with nerves.

Do you want to talk with more confidence in meetings and interviews? Or have more impact when speaking in public?

This confidential one-to-one coaching session will help you to:

• refine your presentation skills
• speak more confidently as an emerging leader in your research field
• develop new approaches to your communication in a wide range of professional situations.

You will get constructive feedback on your speaking style, how you come across to others, and how well your ideas are communicated.

Coaching will focus on your individual requirements – these can include practical points about elocution and vocal projection, holding the attention of a room, and structuring a compelling presentation.

A must-attend virtual session with information tailored to postdocs in Cambridge, whether University-based or employed by Colleges or Research Institutions.

At this event, you will be given information about:

• Your contract
• Professional development and the Careers Service
• How to connect to the wider postdoc community at Cambridge
• You will also meet representatives from various University services who may be helpful to you while you are working in Cambridge.

Do you have a deadline coming up or a piece of writing that’s long overdue? Or maybe some data analysis that keeps slipping to the bottom of your to-do list?

Our online retreats give you time, peace, and space to think and write. Each session will provide a friendly and constructive environment in which to meet like-minded peers, discuss challenges, and work in a focused way using the Pomodoro technique.

These virtual retreats are being hosted collaboratively across several institutions to encourage researchers across career stages and institutions to come together in a sustainable writing environment.

The retreats will take place several times per month throughout the academic year and you can attend as many as you like (within booking limits for each session).