ABSTRACT
A strength-based approach is one where doctoral students focus on their strengths and advantages when facing a challenge, rather than their problems and deficiencies. Being aware of doctoral students' strengths and weaknesses will help they target those things they want to work on, and to use what doctoral students do well to get their thesis written. In three case studies, Juliette, Wei-Qin, and Nasim all have strengths and weaknesses in how they approach work, but none of the three are fully aware of how they can ‘leverage’ their strengths, in corporate speak. How doctoral students experience the PhD ‘project crunch’ period will be affected by their approach and their preferred working style. When a person is more consciously aware of their strengths, they can make a lot of progress intentionally building on them, as an emerging scholar and peer in their field.
