Individual Coaching as an Opportunity for the Development of Postdoctoral Researcher

“Hello, I am Marta, ERA postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Botany and Zoology (Vegetation Science group)... I would be very interested in getting a set of one-to-one training sessions (in English), covering the area of personal competencies.” This is also an example of what a training inquiry at Faculty of Science MU might look like.

Marta Gaia Sperandii – a postdoctoral fellow at Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science MU, was at that time working on the project VegTrends, funded by an ERA fellowship as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) Actions.

Her motivation extended beyond the efficient use of project funds; it also stemmed from a commitment to personal growth. " I have always been committed to personal enrichment and professional growth, and I think this is especially important in a field like research. Especially as an Early Career Researcher, I know how essential soft skills are to navigating the academic world. This is why I decided to use part of this fellowship’s funding in the category "Research, Training & Networking costs," also for support my personal development.”

Initially, however, not only did the finances and the aforementioned motivation played a role, but also the discussion with the director of the Department of Botany and Zoology of the Faculty of Science MU, prof. RNDr. Milan Chytrý, Ph.D., who agreed with and supported Marta's pursuit of individualized educational opportunities. Everything was therefore exemplary, in accordance with the Faculty of Science MU’s internal directive on Education and Development of Employees at the
Faculty of Science MU. Marta adds: “After exploring CERPEK´s website and identifying the development areas I was most interested in, I reached out to Iva Lízalová, the Head of the Personal and Professional Development Unit at CERPEK and Eliška Sobotková, the Development Specialist for the Faculty of Science MU. Shortly after, I had a friendly meeting with them, and we discussed my development needs and how to best support my growth.” In this case we decided on individual coaching.

Thanks to the well-established cooperation and interconnection between CERPEK and the Faculty of Science MU, the preparation of the professional and organizational-administrative aspects ran smoothly. Marta was soon connected with the coach and lecturer Karolina Koszalka from the educational company Azteka, and they began with a "taster" session to find out their mutual expectations and assess compatibility. ”From the very beginning, I felt a strong intellectual connection with her... I was absolutely thrilled with the coaching provided by Karolina! She is not only a fantastic coach but also a genuinely wonderful person. I particularly appreciate her holistic approach, which combines tools from various disciplines—ranging from business coaching and effective communication to core energetics and psychosomatics.” Considering the superlatives with which Marta evaluated the coach, it is obvious that Iva Lízalová managed to find a suitable coach. Marta also expressed her satisfaction with the overall cooperation: “The cooperation with Iva and Eliška was excellent. Iva identified a coach who perfectly matched my development needs in under a week, which allowed the process to proceed without any delays. Eliška offered continuous support throughout the coaching sessions, regularly checking in to see how things were progressing and ensuring that all support was available.”

Coaching sessions were held both in person and online. Of course, the English language, which Marta had requested, was the language in which the coaching took place.“We've only met in person twice; the online sessions have been just as effective. Language was never a barrier, as Karolina speaks excellent English, and we communicated effortlessly.”

This enriching experience proved valuable not only for Marta but also for everyone involved in the activity. The preparation, smooth organization, implementation and subsequent evaluation have shown that this development format can enhance CERPEK's educational offer. It also serves as an example of best practices that both CERPEK and the Faculty of Science MU will be happy to share and further discuss.

Looking ahead, this experience sets a precedent for supporting the development of other postdoctoral researchers in the future. Following Marta's example, they can expand their expertise in research while also strengthening their personal skills and competences through their project.