As scientists around the globe research cures and treatments for diseases, work to increase the data capacities of the information superhighway, and develop methods to clean the environment, they must also take time to contemplate the future of their industry, especially after the economic downturn of 2009.

Laboratories face an uncertain future of more work, fewer resources, more bureaucracy, less discretionary time, more data reporting requirements and fewer experienced people with the knowledge to handle these issues. What does this mean for lab managers?

Effectively selling your ideas and those of your staff members to upper management is often what separates good lab managers from great ones. Failure to accomplish this is the main reason excellent ideas fall by the wayside. To sell ideas, you need to tap into the same creativity you and your staff used to conceive them.

Your research staff can play a role in the peer process by participating as referees for manuscripts. What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing so?

Taking the time to initiate a small goal like creating a vision is the first step toward creating a better team, a stronger workforce, and entrepreneurial thinkers. This crucial step initiates the beginning of a transformation within yourself and a larger effect on the group you lead.

Here is a statistic that jumped out at me recently: improper storage of chemicals accounts for nearly 25 percent of all chemical accidents. Why is that? This is a sad statistic, given that all these accidents are entirely preventable, yet they continue to happen despite the availability of numerous and excellent resources just a few keystrokes away.

Fume hoods are installed in laboratories to protect workers from hazardous vapors generated by laboratory experiments. However, simply conducting these experiments in the fume hood does not guarantee adequate protection.

Why would it be in your best interest to treat your employees like dogs? To dog enthusiasts, it might be obvious.