Self – Christine Maassen

06 Aug

The Olympic Mirror-Reflection Of Our Times.

By Christine Maassen
In Blog, Business, Coaching, Leadership, Self, Self-care
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I love watching the Olympics. I am in awe of the athletes and their performances blow my mind. Likewise, the opening ceremony is usually a treat, an opportunity to observe a culture through the performing arts. But these are different times. Who knew that the 2020 Olympics would be taking place in 2021? The delay is understandable of course. The pandemic and its wreckages have forced us to learn to deal with unpredictability, on many fronts, including the timing of what seems like an unassailable schedule. The words pivoting and unprecedented have been in for quite the workout lately!...

04 May

My Lessons From The Pandemic and What It Means For My Business

By Christine Maassen
In Blog, Business, Coaching, Self, Self-care
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Here we are, peeps. More than one year into the pandemic, and, while there are signs of hope, we are not out of it yet. If you’re like me, you have been reading the many heartbreaking stories in varied shapes and forms. To be there for others when they need us most, we must stay grounded and avoid being swept away by the devastation. I find it’s helpful to favor a balanced view, one that seeks to identify positive outcomes as well. The following quote from Nelson Mandela has been swirling in my head: “I am fundamentally an optimist....

06 Apr

Values: Living from the Inside-Out

Last week, a former client shared how instrumental the values work we did was in gaining clarity about her circumstances and in fostering our coaching relationship, which ultimately motivated her to start her own consulting business. Perhaps you hear the word values and you roll your eyes. I wouldn’t blame you. For many of us, it brings back memories of posters on portable walls that make lofty promises that are violated day after day. We’d be better off with a picture of a puppy, at least that would make us smile. Still, there is something about values… I’ve been...

06 Aug

The invisible shackles of systems

Ever noticed how some situations, conversations, or moments get vividly etched in our memory bank? I’m sure there is a reason why this happens. The other day, one such memory came by for a visit with me. It was a conversation taking place many years ago with a university career counsellor during an assessment debrief. My career was well on its way by the time I enrolled in university, and what this assessment suggested was that my interest was for arts-related careers. That was not the path I had been travelling for many years, establishing a management career in...

11 Apr

How are you doing?

I have been quiet lately because we are flooded with information, but today, I want to drop by and ask you, “How are you doing?” Did you ever think that such a simple and familiar question would carry such weight? I hope this find you healthy, at home, with a full fridge, and surrounded by people and things that bring you comfort and joy. Phew, what a ride! The topsy-turviness of the past weeks leaves us a bit dizzy, just like when walking off a merry-go-round as a kid. The news, daily updates, the prediction graphs, recommendations, revised recommendations...

05 Nov

Why we should listen to our tummies and how to do it.

Think and be honest with yourself when answering this question: Did you ever end up in a situation that was not good for you after ignoring the warnings signs? Something was telling you to get out, but you still stayed. Your intuition was to hold back, but you went ahead. I refer to the warning signs as “the tummy” because, for many of us, this is where the signs show up. I’ve been in this position several times. Looking back, I can say that there was a strong signal that I should have paid attention to, yet I didn’t....

26 Aug

How leadership is a paradox and where it starts.

Regardless of what leadership definition you subscribe to—there are so many—chances are it references influence over others. One of my favorite examples is Brené Brown’s definition from Dare to Lead, in which she described a leader as “anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes and has the courage to develop that potential.” In their book The Leadership Challenge, James Kouzes and Barry Posner defined leadership as “the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations.” Leadership involves others. It calls on the leader to inspire others. This begs the question, how...