A scholar’s guide to steering your PhD advisor
Commanding support
First, acknowledge that your PhD supervisor is not your employer. Instead, consider strategies to manage this relationship proactively and to derive maximal benefit from their expertise. Here, I share my perspective and recount my experience as a doctoral candidate whose supervisor—herself a distinguished figure—served as Principal of the Faculty of Engineering and continued to support my work throughout the COVID-19 lockdown.
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Recognise their role as a stakeholder
Your supervisor’s purpose is not to provide continuous guidance throughout your doctoral studies. Regard them as a busy stakeholder with limited time and capacity. For most supervisors, your PhD will occupy only one or two hours of their focused attention per week. It is your responsibility to keep them informed, involved, and aligned with your forthcoming activities without becoming overly reliant. This endeavour constitutes your research, not theirs. Adopting this perspective will transform how you approach and engage in this relationship.
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Lead the meeting agenda
Never attend a meeting unprepared or without explicit objectives. Circulate, in advance, concise bullet points summarising your progress, existing challenges, and precise requirements. Frame your questions so that they can respond with targeted guidance rather than general commentary. Bear in mind that this is your PhD; you must lead its advancement and exhibit initiative in every interaction.
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Present concrete material for feedback
Refrain from posing ambiguous questions such as “What are your thoughts on this issue?” Instead, offer a preliminary draft, outline, or decision tree accompanied by your rationale and selected trajectory. Supervisors excel at refining and editing; they can provide direction more swiftly when furnished with a substantive starting point. By presenting tangible material, you enable them to contribute effectively rather than begin from scratch.
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Document and confirm all agreements
Supervisors frequently forget minutiae; they juggle multiple doctoral candidates, research commitments, and teaching obligations. After each meeting, dispatch a succinct follow-up email outlining key points, action items, deadlines, and any outstanding queries. This practice is not burdensome; it constitutes sound project management and ensures accountability on both sides.
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Adapt to their preferred communication style
Some supervisors expect comprehensive emails; others favour brief messages. Observe how they normally communicate and adapt your approach accordingly. Aligning your communication style with theirs conserves time and minimises friction. Your enquiries will be addressed more expeditiously than if they remain unread in an inbox for extended periods.
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Align with their scholarly incentives
Determine what motivates your supervisor: publications, funding, or specific research outcomes. By aligning your objectives with theirs, you will secure more robust support and expedite your progress. Do not, however, forsake your own scholarly ambitions simply to gratify them. A measure of strategic alignment is not manipulation; it fosters mutual benefit and fortifies your professional rapport.
By implementing these strategies, you will foster a collaborative and respectful relationship with your supervisor, one that advances both your research ambitions and their scholarly objectives. An advisor who sees you as a proactive, organised, and strategically aligned candidate is far more likely to invest meaningful time and insight in your work. Cultivate this partnership through diligence, clear communication, and a steadfast commitment to your own academic goals, and you will navigate the doctoral journey with greater confidence and achievement.