Hi @ all,
I just registered, however, as an anonymous user, since the topic is not as amusing I want to discuss here and I want to avoid any names right now:
What can a group do if their boss (yes, within the C. elegans community) seems not to be motivated anymore for science? The lab would have some amazing stories running, however, manuscripts reach the boss’ table, where they stay and where they aren’t further processed, rarely reviewed etc. ???
Furthermore it’s not easy to get a letter of recommendation. In all, it is a very frustrating situation… 
To avoid misunderstandings: Scientifically, I would have three stories finished and I am more or less independent.
I would be motivated to stay withing the scientific community as a Post-Doc, however, I don’t know how to go on with the situation we (the lab) are in right now!
Thanks for feed-back or positive experiences you can share with us!
Hi Skywalker -
Well, this is an interesting (and potentially flammable!) topic on which to inaugurate the forums.
We’re still not certain to what level we can moderate posts like this. Lets try to keep it general, positive, and anonymous.
Remember, we cannot guarantee your anonymity if you share too much personal information!
That said, it seems like a worthy topic for discussion. I’ll take a stab at it.
First, let me say I’ve been very fortunate to have great mentors. That doesn’t mean that they are always available, able to read/return MSs in a timely manner, etc. Let’s face it, science is a busy profession. You shouldn’t be frustrated if you aren’t getting enough “face-time” – that just means that they trust your abilities.
A really good start might be to sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk and discuss your frustrations. Perhaps your boss just isn’t aware or is overloaded with other tasks. Minimally, try to develop mutually acceptable timelines for manuscripts, etc.
Second, getting letters of recommendation can be a frustrating task. They are not the most fun documents to draft. You might try arbitrarily setting the due date a month earlier in order to ensure that they arrive in time. Make sure your paper work is in order – try providing a brief summary of the position you are applying for and what you want to do there to make writing the letter of recommendation easier. You can always lean on other folks in your department who are familiar with your research for letters of rec, too.
Best of luck.