Professor Kuhn: Coaching is revolutionizing academic careers!

Professor Kuhn: Coaching is revolutionizing academic careers!

On June 2, 2025, it will become clear how important academic coaching is for academic managers. Melanie Kuhn, professor of educational science at the Heidelberg University of Education, recently benefited from coaching to reflect on her role as a manager. She heads the Antigypsy Prevention Unit and is co-head of the Research Methods Service Unit. Kuhn, who is also deputy director of the master's program in educational sciences, also served as dean of studies in Faculty I for four years.

In a world where scientists often lack leadership experience, coaching was an essential step for Kuhn. She explains that her coaching helped her to look at teamwork more systematically. After the coaching, her team organized a working day together, moderated by a coach. The focus was on topics such as work organization, time management and understanding of leadership. The coaching process included a preliminary discussion and three individual discussions, which were comprehensively documented.

The benefits of coaching

Kuhn found coaching particularly helpful in better distributing resources and setting clear boundaries. This has noticeably changed your everyday working life. She now works on emails in batches and does creative writing work mainly in the mornings during regular working hours. She expresses the desire to take advantage of coaching again in the future and appreciates what the company has to offer Heidelberg University of Education.

The university's coaching offering is open not only to her, but also to other managers from science and administration and currently offers free places for registration. Science coaching is aimed at a broad audience, including scientists, professors, lecturers and students in the final phase of their qualification work. It not only supports participants in career planning, but also in deciding their professional identity.

Focus on scientific leadership

Coaching for scientific managers covers central topics such as project management, team leadership and third-party funding management. Analyzing individual strengths and career expectations is also part of the process. Coaches offer support in application situations and negotiations. In addition to these topics, stress management, burnout prevention and the question of life balance are also of essential importance for the coaching participants. This is done by Coaching Different highlighted.

The coaching format ranges from individual and duo coaching to team coaching and supervision. The peculiarities of the science system and the challenges faced by academic specialists play a major role. This includes questions about planning security through frequent fixed-term contracts and the compatibility of work and private life.

Like that Coaching network science emphasizes, coaching offers diverse and autonomous design options. It encourages scientists to strengthen their professional identity and improve their self-management. Supporting team development and staff development remains a key aspect that underlines the future of academic leadership.

With her experience, Melanie Kuhn has shown how valuable professional support can be in higher education. Your positive feedback on the coaching program provides an incentive for many others to explore similar paths in their professional development.