Shaping the culture of science by training scientists to be effective, inclusive, and authentic leaders
How it all Began
Sašo Kočevar founded hfp consulting in 2005 with the aim of improving the work and the working environment of scientists. Since then, hfp consulting has continued to bring value to its clients by holding leadership courses worldwide for scientists and has continuously extended its portfolio. hfp consulting now has successful and ongoing collaborations with scientific organizations all over the world. All courses can be held onsite as well as online and our portfolio offers courses for scientists at all career levels.
Our Philosophy
We believe that science is an environment in which the full human potential is required to solve the complex problems of humankind and of our globe. We can only resolve current challenges of climate change, disease, poverty, famines and their effects on our societies only collectively. Scientific research requires more than strictly expertise but, rather, above all the ability of science leaders to overcome intellectual barriers and to encourage talented people to invest their creativity and commitment into science.
A key focus of our approach is the problem of gender inequity at the workplace, which is placed at the centre of leadership responsibility and is addressed in every workshop.
Our team is gender balanced and includes people from a diverse mix of nationalities and backgrounds. We also believe in a “walk the talk” philosophy and have fully implemented a parent-friendly policy for our team. Cost coverage for childcare is provided when a trainer is on a workshop mission. Breastfeeding mothers can bring a babysitter along on expense of the company and we fully support and provide flexible working schedules for all of our trainers.
Our Portfolio
Workshops
We offer a wide spectrum of career development and leadership training for scientists at all stages of their career; for scientists who transition to other roles such as core facility managers, deans, and vice-presidents in their organisations. We provide in-depth training concerning specific skills such as negotiation, grant writing, presentation skills and creativity.
Whenever possible, hfp consulting workshops come with a team of two experienced trainers who have a scientific background themselves. We also provide follow-up training, access to our peer group support, interaction with our Alumni Network Group with over 1500 members and material and templates for further support of participants in their work as academic leaders.
Our teaching style is interactive and participatory, whether the workshop is onsite or online. Our trainers facilitate discussions during which participants practice and apply new skills and techniques in real time to challenges they are experiencing.
We are performing more than 180 online course days/year worldwide with hundreds of scientists from five continents. We are proud of our digital workshop formats that are based on longstanding expertise with interactive course facilitation.
As our trainers are themselves scientists who have participated in our courses and are constantly updating their academic and educational skills on a regular basis, they are deeply familiar with the uniqueness and the value of the hfp consulting training process, which has motivated them to become trainers and share their experience and knowledge with fellow scientists.
Retreats
Retreats are fantastic opportunities to strengthen team coherence, refocus, recharge, increase motivation, and tap into the pool of creativity and knowledge of everyone present to advance scientifically. Retreats also require a lot of time for preparation, thereby binding resources, and therefore, the precious time at such events is often thus used ineffectively.
We will help you develop a tailored and targeted programme for your laboratory and departmental retreat. We define the focus of your retreat together and we provide useful and versatile workshop modules and organised group activities at the actual event.
Post-Training Support
Many groups have used the momentum of our course to establish a peer support group. These groups meet on a regular basis, continue to implement the skills and techniques trained during the course, share experiences and sustain the professional development of their members. We will encourage your participants to establish such peer support groups and will help to sustain them. We also offer moderation of peer groups.
Coaching
We have over fifteen years of experience in training leadership and management skills for scientists. Participants of our courses often include senior scientists and upper management members of research institutions. Senior executives and research professors have very specific questions and face challenges which go beyond the scope of our Leadership and Management Skills workshops.
We offer individual coaching, specifically for senior scientists. These coaching sessions are highly personalised in scope and content. Our coaching skills can help to adjust to new leadership roles, in confidence building, personal growth, crises, preparation for scientific boards and career decisions. They are exclusively led by hfp consulting senior consultants. Contact us to discuss how we can help you with progress by personal coaching.
Our Working Style
Real examples and experiences of participants will be used to illustrate the dos and don’ts within the different training topics. As our training philosophy is based on ‘learning by doing’, we strive for a highly interactive learning environment in which participants actively engage in discussion and exercises. Our trainers act as navigators through the learning process, whereby participants are expected to apply learned information for themselves and to develop their personal strategies, solutions and action plans. A workbook will be provided for participants to take notes and identify their next steps; to review training information and templates. hfp consulting also offers an online platform through which training materials can be accessed after the training.
Our Team
The majority of our trainers have a scientific background and hold a PhD in life sciences. Most of our team are still working in science and research. All trainers have gone through a rigorous internal training programme of three years. hfp consulting has ongoing train-the-trainer programmes in place in order to continually update our teaching philosophy and to keep our workshop leaders at the frontier of knowledge.
Objectives
Our courses support scientists and scientific institutions in reaching their full potential in their scientific groups, laboratories, and institutes. They provide the practical skills for successful, productive and innovative teams. Scientists learn to support and promote effective collaboration, anticipate and assess the potential impact of their work, and learn about the importance of an inclusive and sustainable approach to research and to working together.
A key focus of our approach is the problem of gender inequity at the workplace, which it puts at the center of leadership responsibility and addresses in every workshop module.
How will Leaders and Scientists Benefit
- You will have attached structure and meaning to your role as a leader and feel more confident towards challenges with your colleagues
- You will integrate leadership moments into the day-to-day work of science.
- Your leadership approach will be rooted in practical models and developed by daily practice.
- You will adapt your communication and leadership approach dependent on both situations and people.
- You will develop better relationships based on reality, rather than assumption and supposition.
- You will ask better questions and be more able to take in and act on answers.
- You will experience less conflict as you take action to prevent it developing.
- You will value and invest in the human aspects of science alongside the technical ones.
What is the Impact for Groups
- The individual leadership needs of the team members will be better understood and fulfilled, as they will feel valued and able to be themselves.
- The team atmosphere and culture will evolve to be more open, accepting and inclusive of everyone.
- As better communication and leadership behavior is modelled, the team members will develop as better leaders themselves.
- The team will be more productive and co-operative. Friction and conflict will be overcome.
- Team members will see the value of investing in their own development.
What will be the Positive Change for Institutions/Organisations
- There will be more effective interactions with others leading to smoother running of meetings and better outcomes for all.
- Staff will feel a greater sense of belonging when they are valued as people and given support to develop.
- Culture change can be achieved when a critical mass of leaders is developed to take care of the human aspects of science
- HR teams will have more time and energy to devote to developing people and the organization as they spend less time dealing with poor performance and complaints against leaders/managers.
What Value is Created for Science Generally
Science is only advanced by the people doing it. When these people are valued, supported and encouraged in a culture that values human relationships and prioritizes clear and direct communication the advancement of science will be accelerated.
Our Clients
