Separating Process from Outcome

I have a massive backlog of #HackingAcademia videos to shoot: right at the top of the pile, prompted by a heap of conversations in recent months, is this one: the art of:

Separating PROCESS from OUTCOMES

This is one of the most important but also most difficult skills to master in many professional careers.

You can do everything right, and get a bunch of bad outcomes (the reverse also applies, but more rarely!).

Some of those bad outcomes are real signal that you need to change things.

BUT

Some of those bad outcomes simply "come with the territory": they are unavoidable, *even if you're doing everything right*.

Not differentiating between the two is going to make your professional life infinitely more challenging than it needs to be.

Now, here's the difficult part - how do you know which situation applies?

Well, that's what I cover in today's video:

♣️ my past experience playing online poker, which is arguably the most important example of the need to separate process from outcome

💰 three examples from academia and research grant, project and promotion applications covering "you're / your group is too successful", "this is too aligned with what you already do" and "you need to focus on these other areas" feedback

🔍 two ways you can indeed find out which situation applies in any particular circumstance, and

🫂 some reassurance around two ways this problem becomes more navigable as your career progresses!

As per usual, you can also check this out on YouTube:

🔗 YouTube link: https://youtu.be/FwrWJA9bW3g

#careeradvice #feedback #grants #promotion #applications #university #professor #lecturer #academic #academia #fellowships #criticism #strategy #tactics