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Communication Guidelines

A short checklist

Before you ask me a question, go through these points:

  1. Categorize your question first: Is this a Kevin question, a lab question, a group handbook question, or a ChatGPT question?
  2. Kevin questions are: Complex scientific decisions, career guidance, research direction, funding strategy, tricky troubleshooting that requires deep expertise, or administrative issues that only I can resolve.
  3. Not Kevin questions: Anything you can solve with 15 minutes of effort through quick iteration, StackOverflow, asking a teammate, or checking the group handbook. Basic concepts, standard protocols, or problems with obvious first steps to try.
  4. If it IS a Kevin question but administrative: Great, ask me. But afterward, add the answer to the group handbook so the next person doesn't have to ask (unless there are privacy concerns).
  5. If you ask me a non-Kevin question, I will redirect you. This isn't about you personally—it's about protecting the time I need to give thoughtful responses to the questions that actually require my input.

I want to hear about your science and results. I'm genuinely excited about your work. But I can only do that effectively if you help me focus on the questions where I add real value. Try the obvious resources first, then bring me the challenges that genuinely need my expertise. The goal: More meaningful conversations about the science that matters most to your success.

Clear Communication Principles

State your purpose: Before communicating, clarify whether you're informing, requesting action, or building relationships.

Use low-context communication: In our international team, be explicit, concise, and clear. Don't assume shared knowledge—state everything literally to ensure understanding across cultural backgrounds.

Provide context: Include enough context that the person you're writing to can understand and respond without a follow-up. A one-line message without background creates more work for everyone. Think about the person on the receiving end: what do they need to understand your point?

If you're writing to Kevin, assume he just came from a completely different project and needs a sentence of context to switch. Think of it this way: Kevin is like a very bad LLM — the more context you give, and the higher quality the context is, the more he can do. As with LLMs, prompt format matters: if he has to search a lot to get context himself or if he has a hard time understanding due to poor formatting or spelling, his response quality will degrade too.

Always include:

  • Relevant background information around any problem
  • What you did, expected, and tried when reporting issues
  • How you obtained results or arrived at conclusions

State urgency clearly. Use async by default for non-urgent topics. If something is urgent, say so explicitly — don't leave it to interpretation.

Share earlier, not only when finished. Avoid last-minute large review requests. If you need support, say so.

Don't worry about bothering me: I can be slow to respond—remind me freely and flag urgent items with impending deadlines.

Assume Best Intentions

The story of the hammer

A man wants to hang a painting. He has the nail, but not the hammer. Therefore it occurs to him to go over to the neighbor and ask him to lend him his hammer.

But at this point, doubt sets in. What if he doesn't want to lend me the hammer? Yesterday he barely spoke to me. Maybe he was in a hurry. Or, perhaps, he holds something against me. But why? I didn't do anything to him.

If he would ask me to lend him something, I would, at once. How can he refuse to lend me his hammer? People like him make other people's life miserable. Worst, he thinks that I need him because he has a hammer. This has got to stop!

And suddenly the guy runs to the neighbor's door, rings, and before letting him say anything, he screams: "You can keep your hammer, you bastard!"

Paul Watzlawick — The Situation Is Hopeless, But Not Serious (The Pursuit of Unhappiness)

Negative thought patterns—often based on our preliminary interpretation—are self-reinforcing. Often it is good to consider alternative interpretations, and perhaps try to look for positive motives.

People often like to help. Just ask them and give it a shot.

Conflict Resolution

My role: Helping you resolve conflicts is one of my primary responsibilities. Contact me immediately if you perceive anything problematic.

Conflicts involving me: Approach me directly. Don't fear hurting my feelings or damaging your career—if something doesn't work for you, it hurts all of us.

Alternative resources: If you can't discuss the matter with me, contact the ombudspersons.