Tag Archives: permission

“Permission microbiology”

One of the great things about having your own microbiology blog is that you don’t need to ask anybody for permission. You can write about whatever you want, even if it is only remotely related to microbiology! You have no deadlines to meet. If you want to post three articles in a day, you can. If you want to take a break for a couple of months, no problem.

Even though you don’t need permission, you do need to be ethically and professionally responsible for what you put out there into the ether.

Permission-no, responsibility-yes.

I have never been very good at asking for permission. This is probably due to the fact that I have a somewhat rebellious nature, and a healthy disrespect for authority. I have an inherent dislike of my personal agenda being at the mercy of someone else! I have always preferred begging for forgiveness than asking for permission.

Of course, sometimes you have to ask for permission. On the occasions where asking for permission is unavoidable, then the way you ask for it is extremely important in determining the chances of success…

I.e. “I am planning to do X & Y. Please let me know if there is any reasonable objection to this” is much preferable to “I am hoping to do X & Y. Is this ok with you??”

There is a subtle but critically important difference.

Within the practice of microbiology, there are lots of things you don’t need permission for… You don’t need permission to prepare a presentation for your colleagues, write a journal article, or even write a book. You don’t need permission to question a dubious result or a dodgy methodology, or to suggest a new idea. You don’t need permission to ask for a pay rise, a promotion, or to apply for a new job.

Permission is often something we wait for when it isn’t really needed…

Michael