What is Most Needed to Succeed in a Doctoral Program?
The past couple of weeks, I’ve been reflecting a great deal on Capella’s mission and values. Why are we here? What are we all striving for? How do we prioritize our work? How do we make decisions? How do we interact with one another? And the like.
In August 2008, I spoke of a pledge to greatness and the invaluable tool of owning your own contribution and this commodity of human potential – the value of honoring the potential of each person and enabling transformation.
Today, some of my trusted colleagues and I were reflecting on a common question asked, “what is the most important piece of the puzzle needed to finish the PhD?” The usual fare was offered: competency, knowledge of the topic, the “research gene,” a strong committee, resilience, time, etc. But today, I say to all, what’s most important is knowing your needs and knowing your aspirations.
