Tilburg University supports personal development with the aim that our employees remain sustainably employable. Connected Leading is about supervising yourself (taking responsibility for your work and your career) for which it is important that you have a good level of self-knowledge. Connected Leading supports you in this process.
In Connected Leading we assume reciprocity which means that people mutually influence each other in interaction. In a reciprocal relationship with others, it is important that you have a dialogue, in which trust, openness and transparency are key.
We are very much aware of the pressure on researchers in the academic environment. Pressure to obtain your PhD degree and a job at a highly regarded academic institute, to get your research published in very competitive high quality peer review journals, to obtain tenure, to obtain grants and receive awards, to create impact, and not to forget pressure to be an excellent teacher to our students! Pressure can lead to bending rules to get results, but this is in conflict with the quality and integrity we strive for in our research. Our professional organization demands integrity, and it is one of the core values listed in the Tilburg University Code of Conduct. Integrity implies that staff and students are prepared and equipped to carry out their duties or studies adequately, carefully, and reliably, keeping in mind at all times the values and interests that are at stake. Integrity is conducive to openness, and implies considerate interaction between staff and students. The university strives to provide a healthy and safe work environment and actively promotes a policy to keep the workload at an acceptable level. For example mindfulness training and health checks are offered as well as coaching teams.
If you are experiencing work pressure, it is important to discuss this, for instance, with your supervisor or with a colleague. If you feel your work pressure has become problematic, please do not hesitate to contact your supervisor or an expert like a company doctor or HR advisor. For PhD candidates the PhD psychologist offers psychological support when it comes to psychological problems caused by the PhD trajectory or directly affecting it.