TESTIMONIALS
I work with a wide range of clients and organisations. Below are some testimonials from clients in the last 12 months.
Coaching
Since I started coaching sessions with Barbara in 2020 I have benefited enormously from her insights and guidance. She really does act as a coach — she provoked my thinking and supported me to identify solutions and take action. Her advice and support has helped me navigate a number of tricky issues and built my confidence as a manager as I’ve stepped up into a role with significantly larger span and scope. I cannot recommend her highly enough. (Julia, DFAT on post)
Barbara Livesey has been a trusted adviser and coach for close to six years. Throughout this time, Barbara has provided strategic government relations advice to support critical policy areas of the work of Australian Red Cross. She has also provided me personally with insightful and challenging coaching support, helping me to reframe when needed, see possibilities and opportunities that I had failed to see, and inspire me to become the best version of myself. She is herself a remarkable leader, who through her graciousness of time and spirit, develops equally strong and capable women leaders around her. Wenda (NGO)
TESTIMONIAL
My four sessions with Barb, as a full time professional (home schooling) working mother based overseas during a pandemic helped immensely. Barb doesn’t give you the answers. She helps you hear your internal voice more clearly, and to ask and answer the right questions, of yourself. (Z, overseas aid worker)
The opportunity for working with a Coach came at a crucial time for me professionally and Barbara was very effective in helping me to clarify my career objectives and opening my mind to a broader range of options for achieving them.
Barbara is calm and insightful and provided constructive feedback that was always targeted to my specific objectives. The breadth of her professional expertise meant she really had first-hand experience in the issues of interest to me.
(Danielle, Health Department)
Barb is great at listening and probing, getting to be clear about why a certain direction, whether it's career or strategy within a role. Her experience in government and NGOs at senior levels means she has a deep well to draw from. I've really benefitted from her coaching - sometimes that has been as wise counsel to confirm that I am on the right track which is worth a lot. You'd be lucky to have Barb as your coach. Toni (NGO)
TESTIMONIAL
Barbara is a great coach who helped me to reflect and find the answers I always had within myself. She was a great source of practical advice and tips that will set me up successfully for the next exciting stage of my career. Thank you Barbara! Clare (Department of Defence)
Barbara is an accomplished and insightful leader with a wealth of interesting and diverse experience, and a genuine commitment to helping others realise their potential. Barbara establishes an environment of trust, based on open and challenging dialogue, to promote a meaningful exchange of insights and ideas. She challenges me to think differently about leadership, agency and personal responsibility. She asks intelligent, honest and discerning questions to help me unpack and rethink my assumptions (and misconceptions) regarding the qualities and conduct of a good leader. By these means, Barbara inspires me to take initiative, accept vulnerability, develop influence and seize new opportunities in the workplace. I could not recommend her more highly to anyone thinking about the next steps in their careers, or willing to ask big questions of themselves and their contribution to working life. (Mandy, Department of Health)
Barb combines emotional intelligence and clear strategic thinking. As a coach she has helped has to stay focused, calm and productive in my work (Dan, CEO NGO)
The coaching sessions certainly provided plenty of food for thought and has made me focus on what I am striving to achieve. It has made me think more deeply about where I am at in my career...You provided a safe environment for discussion. (Richard, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
Having a coach gave me the opportunity to talk through options for action in relation to difficult work situations and in relation to the next steps in my career. Barb effectively prompted me to think more deeply about my initial responses and helped me to identify motivating factors and drivers/barriers and plan next steps...Barb helped me to be solution focused and helped me to formulate my goals. She was very skilled when listening, checking meaning and giving feedback. I would highly recommend Barb as a career/life coach for public servants in Canberra. (Katrina, Department of Health)
Team building
Barbara worked with our leadership team to successfully assist us to improve our functionality and to resolve some tensions which, if not arrested, may have threatened that functionality. Barbara met with us individually, then as a group and followed up with written recommendations which we implemented; a short, sharp effective ‘intervention’. So with genuine goodwill, supplemented by Barbara’s sensible, non-threatening and empathetic professional advice our team is humming. I would highly recommend Barbara to assist with pragmatic sensible solutions to make your workplace function efficiently. (Jenny, Department of Health)
Job Interview skills
Barbara’s coaching was the critical factor in my performance at interview. Prior to working with Barbara I lacked confidence in my ability to respond clearly and succinctly to interview questions. Following the coaching session I felt a transformation in my self-confidence and readiness. Barbara had done her research and asked challenging and relevant questions. Thanks to Barbara’s help I received not only the promotion but was ranked the number 1 candidate in the round. Thank you Barbara! Paula (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
Barb provided a safe environment to help prepare me for an SES interview. Over four sessions she enabled me to overcome my interview nerves, built my confidence to respond to difficult questions, and through thoughtful questioning and reflection enabled me to clarify in my mind what my value add to the department was. As a result I had a confident and enjoyable interview, and would highly recommend Barb (Claire - International worker)