Fellowships Available for Female Scientists in Africa

Fellowships Available for Female Scientists in Africa Fellowships Available for Female Scientists in Africa Fellowships Available for Female Scientists in AfricaThe LOral Foundation is now accepting applications through April 29 for the seventh LOralUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for Women in Science Fellowships program for female scientists in Sub-Saharan Africa. The foundation will award fellowships of 5,000 Euros apiece (approximately $5,700 U.S.) to 12 African Ph.D. students enrolled in a university in Sub-Saharan Africa and also fellowships of 10,000 Euros each (approximately $11,400 U.S.) to two postdoctoral researchers working in a laboratory or research institute registered in the region.The program is open to women who a currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree or have obtained a Ph.D. degree in life or physical sciences. Applicants must be citizens of a Sub-Saharan African country. In addition, Ph.D. students applying for a fellowship sho uld be no more than 40 years old by the programs April 29 closing date, while post-doctoral applicants should be no more than 45 years old on that date. For more information on the LOralUNESCO for Women in Science Fellowships for Sub-Saharan Africa or to apply, visit www.fwis.fr/en/fellowships/563718998.

8 great tricks for reading peoples body language

8 great tricks for reading peoples body language8 great tricks for reading peoples body languageBody language provides an amazing amount of information on what other people are thinkingifyou know what to look for. And who hasnt wanted to read peoples minds at some point?You already pick up on more body language cues than youre consciously aware of. UCLA research has shown that only 7% of communication is based on the actual words we say. As for the rest, 38% comes from tone of voice and the remaining 55% comes from body language. Learning how to become aware of and to interpret that 55% can give you a leg up with other people.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreWhen youre working hard and doing all you can to achieve your goals, anything that can give you an edge is powerful and will streamline your path to success.TalentSmarthas tested more than a mio people and found that the uppe r echelons of top performance are filled with people who are high in emotional intelligence (90% of top performers, to be exact). These people know the power that unspoken signals have in communication, and they monitor body language accordingly.Next time youre in a meeting (or even on a date or playing with your kids), watch for these cuesCrossed arms and legs signal resistance to your ideasCrossed arms and legs are physical barriers that suggest the other person is not open to what youre saying. Even if theyre smiling and engaged in a pleasant conversation, their body language tells the story. Gerard I. Nierenberg and Henry H. Calero videotaped more than 2,000 negotiations for a book they wrote on reading body language, and not a single one ended in an agreement when one of the parties had their legs crossed while negotiating. Psychologically, crossed legs or arms signal that a person is mentally, emotionally, and physically blocked off from whats in front of them. Its not intenti onal, which is why its so revealing.Real smiles crinkle the eyesWhen it comes to smiling, the mouth can lie but the eyes cant. Genuine smiles reach the eyes, crinkling the skin to create crows feet around them. People often smile to hide what theyre really thinking and feeling, so the next time you want to know if someones smile is genuine, look for crinkles at the corners of their eyes. If they arent there, that smile is hiding something.Copying your body language is a good thingHave you ever been in a meeting with someone and noticed that every time you cross or uncross your legs, they do the same? Or perhaps they lean their head the same way as yours when youre talking? Thats actually a good sign. Mirroring body language is something we do unconsciously when we feel a schuldverschreibung with the other person. Its a sign that the conversation is going well and that the other party is receptive to your message. This knowledge can be especially useful when youre negotiating, becaus e it shows you what the other person is really thinking about the deal.Posture tells the storyHave you ever seen a person walk into a room, and immediately, you have known that they were the one in charge? That effect is largely about body language, and often includes an erect posture, gestures made with the palms facing down, and open and expansive gestures in general. The brain is hardwired to equate power with the amount of space people take up. Standing up straight with your shoulders back is a power position it appears to maximize the amount of space you fill. Slouching, on the other hand, is the result of collapsing your form it appears to take up less space and projects less power. Maintaining good posture commands respect and promotes engagement, whether youre a leader or not.Eyes that lieMost of us probably grew up hearing, Look me in the eye when you talk to me Our parents were operating under the assumption that its tough to hold someones gaze when youre lying to them, an d they were right to an extent. But thats such common knowledge that people will often deliberately hold eye contact in an attempt to cover up the fact that theyre lying. The problem is that most of them overcompensate and hold eye contact to the point that it feels uncomfortable. On average, Americans hold eye contact for seven to ten seconds, longer when were listening than when were talking. If youre talking with someone whose stare is making you squirm- especially if theyre very still and unblinking- something is up and they might be lying you.Raised eyebrows signal discomfortThere are three main emotions that make your eyebrows go up surprise, worry, and fear. Try raising your eyebrows when youre having a relaxed casual conversation with a friend. Its hard to do, isnt it? If somebody who is talking to you raises their eyebrows and the topic isnt one that would logically cause surprise, worry, or fear, there is something else going on.Exaggerated noddingsignals anxiety about app roval.When youre telling someone something and they nod excessively, this means that they are worried about what you think of them or that you doubt their ability to follow your instructions.A clenched jaw signals stressA clenched jaw, a tightened neck, or a furrowed brow are all signs of stress. Regardless of what the person is saying, these are signs of considerable discomfort. The conversation might be delving into something theyre anxious about, or their mind might be elsewhere and theyre focusing on the thing thats stressing them out. The key is to watch for that mismatch between what the person says and what their tense body language is telling you.This article first appeared on Linkedin.com.

How to Prepare for Your First Strategy Meeting

How to Prepare for Your First Strategy Meeting How to Prepare for Your First Strategy Meeting Strategic planning can be both exciting and intimidating for participants new to the process. The idea of “strategy” sounds exotic and important, and while much of this work is less than exotic, it is absolutely critical. Having a solid understanding of strategy will help you to prepare to engage with others in your company on assessing and refining your firm’s strategic goals. Understanding Strategy The essence of strategy is about choosing where to invest, whom to serve, and how to compete and win. From George Day’s classic definition: “Strategy is a series of integrated actions in pursuit of competitive action,” to Jack Welch’s overly simplistic: “You pick a direction and implement like heck,” strategy is about choosing where to apply your firm’s resources to successfully serve a particular audience. When considering competitors, some say that strategy is about using force against weakness. The concept of strategy can be confusing and oftentimes used incorrectly. For example, neither a prediction about a firms growth nor its planned budget are strategic: Strategy is not just a list of financial targets. Financial results are outcomes of actions taken to execute on a strategy.Growth is not a strategy. Firm leaders sometimes use strategy incorrectly when making general statements about their firm. For example, the statement “our strategy is expected to grow 10 percent per year” does not articulate a firms strategy.Strategy is not about the budget. It is used to define and prioritize the investments needed to carry out a plan. A budget is a detailed listing of the timing and total amount of planned expenditures and revenues. Strategy is not an event. It is a dynamic process demanding constant evaluation and regular refinement based on lessons learned in the marketplace. Many firms relegate strategy work to an occasional off-site or planning session.Strategy is not a tactical operations “To-Do” list. While a result of any strategy process is a series of coordinated actions, they must focus on serving customers, opening new markets and developing competitive strengths, not listing operational improvements. The Process of Strategy Too many firms fall into the trap of applying template-type approaches to strategy development. A common and ineffective template suggests that the firm review the mission, define a future vision, and then describe the actions necessary to realize that vision. While all of those topics have merit at the right time, the application of this template-type process yields little meaningful strategy content. Proper strategic planning involves research, exploration, and discussion that focuses on: Assessing the firm’s current situation regarding all key stakeholder audiences, including customers, suppliers, competitors, and key partnersAssessing the firm’s unique advantages and inherent disadvantages or weaknessesIdentifying and assessing new developments in the marketplace or in emerging technologies that offer opportunities or potential threats for your firmAssessing the changing needs and businesses of customers and exploring areas where the firm might strengthen, invest, or divestDistilling the above into a coherent analysis Based on this work, the team must assess which investments to make and what actions to take to realize the strategy. This includes evaluating investment options; initiating new projects; and identifying key requirements for talent, systems, and supporting resources. These actions are then distilled into a project plan that describes the firm’s strategy execution plan and process. The Difficult Work of Strategizing While defining an effective strategy appears to be fairly straightforward, identifying meaningful and accessible opportunities and determining how to realize those opportunities in a competitive or demanding marketplace is a difficult process. Strategic planning demands an objective evaluation of the firm’s capabilities and ample debate over the best way to realize the opportunities. Like most activities in life, the more thorough the planning, the better the outcome. In the case of strategy, planning is a messy process of ideas, opinions, and egos that must give way to a cogent and agreed-upon plan in pursuit of serving customers and outperforming competitors. Strategy Execution Implementing the actions described and establishing measures of progress and financial targets are key to what is described as the execution process. A healthy execution program recognizes the need for widespread, clear communication and coordination, and incorporates the tools of project management to support implementation and reporting. Additionally, an effective strategy execution process incorporates feedback loops to reflect and adjust for lessons learned in the marketplace. Challenges of Strategy The strategic planning can be a messy, somewhat organic and risk-filled process. Areas where organizations struggle with strategy include: Failing to engage at the right level of depth on assessing capabilities and opportunitiesConfusing operational planning with strategic planningFailing to define a detailed execution process with clear targets and progress measuresAllowing politics and ego to reduce the strategic planning to a debate over budgets and territoryNot investing in exploring potential disruptive events or emerging trigger events in other markets that might impact the firm’s customers or technologiesFailing to build-in feedback loops to reflect lessons learned in the marketplace Failing to treat strategy as a process that demands constant evaluation and refreshing The Bottom Line An invitation to participate in defining the future direction of your firm is a compliment and a testament to your supervisors belief in your knowledge and ability to contribute to the strategy process. With experience, you can develop into a critical thinker and great strategist.