These are our guidelines, general practices that we try to remember as we go about our days in the office/computer/laboratory and away from it. While they are meant for ReACTERs, perhaps others may find them helpful!
Communicate. The saying goes that "silence is golden", but in our experience, open communication is a lot nicer and helps a research organization run well. If you're having a problem (technical, personal, or otherwise), ask for help! If you see someone else struggling, ask them what's wrong or offer your support. Chat with your fellow ReACTERs to coordinate equipment usage and compute time, to brainstorm new ideas, and to work through conflicts. If you're in doubt as to whether communication is needed, err on the side of over-communication.
Set and respect boundaries. If you let it, the worlds of Academia and scientific research will take everything from you – your time, your peace of mind, even your health. Boundaries are a way that we protect ourselves and look after our well-being. Early and often, consider what you need to be happy and healthy, and state those needs as boundaries. These boundaries could involve how you communicate and what you communicate about; when you do and do not engage with work; and much more. Hopefully, those around you will respect clearly communicated boundaries, but you may need to periodically re-assert them. You should feel free in doing so, as maintaining and protecting your boundaries is ultimately good for you and those around you. Likewise, if your colleagues tell you their boundaries, listen, make note of them, and (assuming these boundaries are reasonable) take care not to cross those boundaries. If you do violate them in some way, recognize that harm (see below), apologize, try to repair, and work to improve so that you respect your colleagues better in the future.
Limit work time and take breaks. In the CoReACTER, productivity is not our ultimate goal. We want to improve the practice of science and use science to better the world, but not at the expense of our own health and potential for joy. At the same time, we believe that time spent on research does not necessarily correlate with productivity. Rather, you will be a better scientist if you take time for rest, for personal relationships with friends, families, and loves, for hobbies, for fun, for absolutely nothing at all. We encourage ReACTERs to design sustainable patterns of labor that incorporate regular rest and relaxation. We also try to incorporate breaks into our rhythm as a group, with shared meals, games, informal discussions, retreats, and more.
Recognize and fix mistakes early. We will make mistakes. That means you will make mistakes, too. Rather than waiting for problems to arise, double-check yourself early (or ask a colleague to help look for mistakes!), so that you can correct them before they blow up (literally or figuratively). This advice applies to research projects – selecting parameters for calculations, designing experiments, performing analysis – and also to interpersonal interactions. Taking time to reflect and thinking about how you could have handled a situation better will help you to avoid tension and minimize the harm you do to others!
Be on time. Especially because we limit the time that we spend on work (see above), our hours in the office and the lab are valuable. Being on time is a way to show care and respect for yourself and for those around you. If you are worried about running late, try to give yourself buffer time so that others don't need to wait for you. If you know that you're going to be late, communicate that as early as possible so that others can respond and plan accordingly. We understand that things happen, and we will always try to give grace (especially acknowledging that relationships around time and punctuality are culturally dependent), but it's easier if you do your part!
Show up to meetings. We know, there are a lot of meetings, possibly too many. Where possible, we encourage you to structure your work to minimize the number of meetings that are on your plate. However, we strongly advise that you attend meetings that are essential for the CoReACTER (group organizational and research meetings) or for your specific project (project team meetings, meetings with collaborators and funders). These meetings will help you to stay up to date on what your colleagues are working on and help you to get feedback on your work. In addition to being physically present, we ask you to show up by actively participating in the technical discussion as well as the social environment. If well designed, meetings can build relationships and community!