Getting Things Done: Time Management and Productivity for Scientists (303)

15 and 16 October 2025

Dr Djahane Banoo Salehabadi

PhD students and early-career researchers face unique challenges. They must manage long, complex projects with little external structure, few deadlines, and minimal accountability. Unlike many professional environments, academia offers few clearly defined working hours or performance benchmarks. Researchers are expected to be self-directed, agile, and creative, often while working in isolation and under constant pressure to perform. As a result, many individuals struggle to maintain focus, momentum and sustained productivity.

This two-part workshop is designed to help participants gain control over their time, sharpen their focus, and build systems that support meaningful progress. Combining structured reflection with cutting-edge tools from productivity and time management research, the workshop supports researchers in designing workflows that match their goals and working styles.

Structure and Sessions:

The workshop consists of two sessions held on consecutive mornings (9:00–13:00 each day). The sessions build on each other to guide participants from self-awareness to practical application.

Session 1: Goals, Obstacles, and Workflow Clarity

In the first session, participants take a step back to explore their personal goals related to productivity—what they want to achieve, what motivates them, what obstacles they face, and what resources are available to support them. Through guided reflection and structured exercises, they gain deeper insight into the unique situation they find themselves in as researchers. This includes an analysis of their daily routines, working style, writing process, hidden distractions (beyond the obvious, such as social media), non-value-adding habits, and limiting beliefs that are deeply ingrained in their daily routine. By the end of the session, participants will have developed a personalized, realistic plan for improving their workflow and increasing their ability to focus and follow through.

Session 2: Tools, Habits, and Application

In the second session, the instructor introduces a range of science-based, field-tested tools and habits designed to enhance focus, manage time and energy, and reduce friction in day-to-day work. These include methods for planning, task management, prioritization,  attention management, and more. Participants assess which tools best fit their working style and goals, and they refine their plans with new strategies for sustaining productivity in the long term.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Define clear, individualized productivity goals
• Understand the personal and contextual factors that support or hinder their focus and progress
• Map out their typical routines and identify areas for change
• Reduce distractions by rethinking habits and workflows
• Apply prioritization strategies and set SMART goals
• Break large projects into manageable steps
• Create systems to support sustained, self-directed productivity

ONLINE!

Date: Wednesday, 15th and Thursday 16th October 2025

Schedule: 9 am to 1 pm

Place: Online !

Trainer:

As both an academic and a professional coach, Dr. Djahane Banoo Salehabadi has a profound grasp of the many dimensions that make up the academic experience. She has developed her coaching style and workshops based on years of experience working at universities and coaching students, postdocs, researchers, and professors. In addition to her work as an academic coach and trainer, she is the Managing Director of the Graduate School for Environment, Society and Global Change at the University of Freiburg, Germany, where she supports over 200 Ph.D. students and postdocs on their academic journey.

She received her B.A. from Dartmouth College, Magna Cum Laude, and Phi Beta Kappa and received her M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell University in Development Sociology and Science and Technology Studies.

Dr. Banoo has lectured, run workshops, and coached at some of the world's top universities, including ETH Zurich, University of St. Gallen's Executive School, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Freie Universität Berlin, University of Regensburg, Hochschule Luzern, University of Freiburg, and E.P.F.L. Her research has been supported by a number of prestigious research grants, including funds from the U.S. National Science Foundation (N.S.F.), the Swiss National Science Foundation (S.N.S.F.), the German Academic Exchange (DAAD), as well as a number of other competitive grants and awards.

As a coach and trainer, Dr. Banoo never strays far from her academic roots. By training and by choice, she always stays abreast of the latest research on productivity, habit formation, work-life balance, organizational development, and leadership.

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