Developing Career and Leadership Skills for Innovation in Science and Engineering

Spring 2013 Programs

This program prepares graduate students to enter the science and technology workplace with a variety of value-added skills that help them to effectively lead and manage in a complex and changing environment.  Students combine competencies in organizational dynamics, project management, and career strategies with a sound background in research and analytical skills.  The program consists of workshops and seminars that seek to build content knowledge, practical skills, and new perspectives for the 21st century workplace as well as careers in academia. 

All programs take place in the LRSM Reading Room.
Pizza and soda provided at 11:30 AM – program begins promptly at 12 o’clock noon.

The Art and Science of Organizations
The increasing complexity of organizational activities requires leaders who can integrate "hard science/analytic" content (e.g., structural information, rational data-based decision making) and "soft art/emotional" processes (e.g., how to respond, what events mean, judgment-based decision making).   This 3-part program from Penn’s Organizational Dynamics Program will enhance your competencies to ensure the viability of projects and organizations.

February 12th – 11:30 – 1:00 PM
Alan Barstow, Director, Academics and Collaboration, Organizational Dynamics

This session explores the essential of teams.  Teams can be stronger than the sum of their parts – or not.  A case study from the Harvard Business Review will be used to illustrate the importance of leadership behaviors, power relations, and complex adaptive systems concepts.

March 12th – 11:30 – 1:00 PM
Jean-Marc Choukroun, Organizational Dynamics

This session explores project management and the role of the project manager. Two mini-cases will be used to illustrate two specific challenges faced by project managers- managing conflict and pushing back, when unpredictability and uncertainty invariably enter into projects. 

April 9th – 11:30 – 1:00 PM
Alan Barstow, Director, Academics and Collaboration, Organizational Dynamics

This session explores communication between those who develop plans and those who have to implement them. It also highlights helpful and not so helpful behaviors when planning, assigning or completing tasks within teams.