I am a big fan of Christine Livingston. I first met her on Twitter and have been following her blog A Different Kind Of Work for almost a year now. Christine is a coach and consultant who’s purpose is to “help professionals navigate career change.” She writes some of the best stuff I’ve ever found on approaching the intersection of work and life in ways that just make better sense.
A few days ago, I got the pleasure of meeting Christine in person when she did me the tremendous favor of speaking to my International Organizational Behavior class in London. She gave us a very generous offering of her time and wisdom. My students loved it and so did I.
She was also kind enough to let me show this video of her “in action” addressing a question from a student. Christine had just given the students a quick introduction to Transactional Analysis, and someone asked a question about how to deal with an overly demanding or even potentially abusive boss in these tough economic times, where too many companies treat employees as if they are lucky to have a job and behave as if they care less about what employees think and feel at work.
I encourage you to watch the video for Christine’s insightful response in her own words. I’ll share with you a brief quote from her response that captures the essence of her perspective:
You are who you are at the end of the day; you deserve to have your own experience and for that to be appreciated and respected.
I concur 100%. Thanks, Christine!
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Bret,
Thanks so much for this. It was great to meet you in person after all these months, and a huge honor for me to spend time with your class. You and they were terrific!
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Bret L. Simmons Reply:
July 16th, 2010 at 4:48 am
I really appreciate your generosity and will continue to sing your praises. Thanks! Bret
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Bret, great clip from Christine. I couldn’t agree more that providing solutions to problems always weighs heavier than simply discussing, or complaining, about a problem. Really Like Christine’s style and insights. Maybe she’ll plan a trip to Reno in the future??
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Bret L. Simmons Reply:
July 16th, 2010 at 11:20 am
She was great. She thought about attending SM@RT 2010 but had to pass – it is a long trip and a big commitment. Maybe we can get her out for SM@RT 2011. Thanks, Kathy! Bret
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Christine Livingston Reply:
July 18th, 2010 at 5:18 am
Thanks, Kathy!
It’s definitely tougher to come out and say what you think the solution to a problem is. You have to stick your neck above the parapet and risk being knocked back. But, as Bret said in his class, it’s good training ground on learning to differentiate yourself positively.
And, yes, SM@RT2010 was going to be tough, but it’s featuring in my goals to be there next year. Fingers crossed!
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Bret L. Simmons Reply:
July 18th, 2010 at 8:40 am
Hope we see you out here in 2011, Christine. Thanks! Bret
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