Soft Skill Development Success Stories

I’ve seen your grad students before and then after the Preparing Tomorrow’s Leaders for Science experience…it is transformational. I didn’t think that you could teach people to be leaders. They either are or aren’t.  But, your program has completely changed my mind about that.

I’ve been impressed with the benefits and value we have seen from BONSAI’s leadership development program. We have created relationships with very talented students and have seen them develop professionally as a result of BONSAI’s class.

I want to personally thank you for helping me become more effective as a leader. Early in the process I became very engaged and was able to let my guard down to discover really strong connections between my personality type and actions I take. The flexibility and understanding that I acquired allowed me to create stronger and clearer communication between my team which ultimately resulted in more energy, more positive outlooks, and better overall performance on theirs and my end. It didn’t simply benefit me at work it also impacted me personally and gave me strategies and techniques that I can use regardless of if I’m at work or home. I thoroughly enjoyed the process and diving into what would ultimately bring me more joy in my job.
Thanks for everything,

Training within an academic environment does not always translate to the skills needed in an industrial environment. It is in bridging this gap where the PTLS [developed and executed by BONSAI] provides incredible value…we have broadly seen tremendous improvement in graduate students’ professional skills. Not only does this translate into students who have greater success in the job market, but we also observe more immediate effects on students’ productivity in the academic setting.

You’ve given me what my grad school advisor and managers at work never could. Your ability to listen intently to my needs and provide actionable steps I could take to lead me toward my intended solution has been such a promising experience for me. And the fact that I can be fully transparent – and be myself – has been so powerful. I am very fortunate knowing I can reach out to you to prepare for a tough work conversation, a big meeting, or a debrief in times of tension. Thank you so much for supporting me.

I have noticed improvements in [my grad student’s] one on one conversations. He is getting his ideas and points across. He is blossoming. Thank you for helping him grow.

[My grad student’s] professionalism skyrocketed, plain and simple. He was not very focused on his research, and now he is.  He is much better at networking. His confidence level has increased and he now is much more independent.

I’m wrapping up my second week working at Monsanto and it’s been great so far.  My experience in your program, PTLS, has really prepared me for industry.

Today I was offered a postdoc position at Northwestern’s school of medicine! Thank you again for everything. The skills I sharpened in your program were pivotal in getting this job.

I really feel like I’m being with somebody who knows me and I feel safe to open up and be myself with you. I am thankful for all the things I’ve learned from your mentorship.

Thank you so much! Your feedback is making me feel more positive about myself and confident as well!

I have been bold, honest and confident while communicating with others, which has efficiently helped me to develop newer and stronger relationships both at the personal and professional levels.

It was an eye-opening workshop for me. I realized that I do have strengths that I did not see as a strength before or didn’t know I even had it. Secondly, I learned what those strengths mean to me, how I use them in my routine and more importantly how could I further explore them professionally. Now, I not only acknowledge my strengths but it was also a wake-up call on how to go about future career development/opportunities that will enable me to leverage them to successfully contribute to a team.