junior faculty coaching
A career in academia is unlike any other. Autonomy and flexibility combined with extremely high (and often ambiguous) expectations create a unique set of challenges. Add in the political complexities of an academic environment and it can begin to feel like you're navigating a minefield. The experience may leave you de-energized and overwhelmed. And if you don't fit the typical professorial mold, the pressure can feel even more intense.
I've lived through the ups and downs of an academic career, and I founded nodramaturg* coaching & consulting in hopes of making life a little easier (and frankly, more joyful) for professors like you. My coaching packages typically include 2 sessions per month plus email support as needed. Services are provided remotely, by phone or video conference.
Together we will set goals consistent with your personal and professional values, map out steps toward achieving them, generate strategies for overcoming any obstacles you encounter, and most important, celebrate when you get there! I think you'll be amazed by the positive impact even small shifts can have on your productivity and overall well-being.
Ready to learn more? Let's talk! Please contact me to schedule a free exploratory phone call.
Not quite ready to reach out yet? Why not check out these resources or my book for assistant professors?
what others are saying...
Elizabeth is the Platonic ideal of an academic coach, reified in human form. She is empathetic, insightful, intelligent, and generous; she is pragmatic and efficient, but light-hearted and supportive. Elizabeth moves seamlessly from the strategic to the tactical: she will help you define your overarching goals and principles, and she will just as skillfully guide you to identify and complete the steps that achieve them. I'd recommend her as a coach to just about anyone, whether they think they need coaching or not. And I'd especially recommend her to fellow research academics. She knows all about the ins and outs of our profession, and she offers experience-borne wisdom for managing the emotional trials that it requires. I simply couldn't imagine a better mentor and ally.
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- PK (faculty coaching client)
I started working with Elizabeth after a rough couple of years out of grad school. I felt like I couldn't put the pieces together even though I "knew" what to do. I couldn't keep going as I was. Through conversations with Elizabeth, I identified some critical ways to shape my thinking around my research and, more importantly, around myself as a researcher. It is only because of working with Elizabeth at that critical juncture that I was not only able to remain a tenure-track faculty member but had the confidence to apply for (and get!) a job at an R1 school that is a much better fit. Since moving, I have had my most productive year thus far and credit much of that to the work I've done with Elizabeth.
- SY (faculty coaching client)
I have found my sessions with Elizabeth to be incredibly useful in helping me think about big picture issues, while allowing space to workshop specific problems that have come up. Perhaps most importantly, she helped me work through some of the burn out I experienced and has begun to shift my attitude towards self-care as foundational to my long-term academic success. I would highly recommend Elizabeth's coaching to other junior faculty.
- JG (faculty coaching client)
The tenure process takes a long time and requires high levels of energy and focus throughout. Even if you know what to do, it isn’t easy. Your likelihood of success increases dramatically when you have regular check-ins within someone whose only interest is helping you achieve your goal. When that someone has been there, done that herself, the impact is even greater. That is what Elizabeth did for me. She played the role of magic mirror – allowing me to visualize my future and asking terrific questions that encouraged me to consider the path to that future. She was there for me time after time and she is still there with me as I transition to a post-tenure career with a new vision and goals. I will be forever in her debt. I don’t think I could have done this without her.
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- DW (faculty coaching client)
*Wondering where the name "nodramaturg" comes from? Find out here.