Lab personalities-I’ve been thinking about doing this series for a long time now. So much of the character of a lab and so many of the problems that beset researchers today are the result of various lab personalities. Outsize personalities and larger egos are not unique to academia, however they dominate academia in a truly unique way.
Appropriately enough, the first in the series, the Alpha. Pushy, confident, assertive and all-knowing, every lab has one. They always have an opinion about everything, they are absolutely sure that what they do is right and they are not shy about sharing their ways to improve you, your experiments and your future. They think nothing of charging past long-standing lab traditions to ensure that their way prevails. They always have a comment or seven at lab meeting. They know where everything is and like it that way. They define who is worthy of incorporation into the inner circle and who isn’t. They usually sit next to the boss at meetings and speak for him or her in their absence.
They are absolutely infuriating and usually quite indispensable. Their confidence is jarring yet enviable. Sometimes long-standing traditions should be done with and only alphas have the guts to do away with them. Comments make lab meeting interesting, and often, people participate when the Alpha’s comments rile them to the point of speech. It is useful to have one person who knows where everything is although one could do without the “I think the best way to use it is…”. Many of the worse clashes in labs develop because of them, as Alphas rarely conciliate, discuss or mediate. The misery levels of new members of the lab are largely governed by their reception by the Alpha, probably second only to the next personality I plan to discuss, the Escalator.
So with the Alphas, smile, ingratiate yes be firm for all Alphas yield to superior strength. Appreciate what they give to the lab, develop sudden deafness in the face of their opinions. And in the end, all of us have a little alpha in there somewhere. Some are more successful –and less abrasive- at letting it out that’s all. But, be warned, disaster might ensue if the PI is an Alpha and hires another.
So do you have a little Alpha in you? I would say I am about 10% Alpha….
Monday, May 07, 2007
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2 comments:
I guess most lab folk that want to progress in academia have to have a little alpha in them. I'm usually the one with many comment on everything and anything at group meetings, althought that was by agreement with my PI - the PI wanted more discussion and interest at group meetings and expected me, as the postdoc, to lead the way. So now I get really mouthy and frequently ask people what the point of their work is.
I also know where everything in the lab is.
So probably 25 % alpha but I use my heightened awareness of lab 'issues' to maintain peace and harmony. Like a grad student in a strop because he didn't get a lap top purchased by the group when everyone bar him and I got one? Made sure he got one. Another grad student in a strop? Make sure someone sits down and listens to the strop and refers the genuine problems on to people who can help.
Yes, it is hard to succeed without being an alpha. You sound like a very constructive 25% alpha...
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