The-Negotiation-Society-Magazine-The-Change-Issue

So how has she coped and
what advice would she give
to others? “I cannot change
what is happening. But I can
change the way I think about
it. So, I have made a conscious
effort to keep mentally well
and stay motivated. I even
put an hour in my calendar
every day to go for a walk.
How ridiculous is that?
Scheduling a walk.”
Marie-Claire is known throughout the business as one of
the quieter types. I mention that I have heard her described
by a colleague as “quiet but formidable”. Would she agree?
“I am quiet, yes. But being quiet doesn’t mean you can’t make
yourself heard. Society places a higher value on extroverts,
and they underestimate quiet people. Just because someone
is quiet doesn’t mean they are not strong.” Her words are
softly spoken but the tone of her voice and look on her face
transcend the limitations of a video call, and resonate with
a conviction bordering on defiance that, to me, embody the
truth of what she says.
“The Gap Partnership, like any other business, needs
a mixture of both. We can’t all be stood in the limelight.
“The Covid-enforced lockdown has allowed me to
discover something about myself. I realize that I need the
energy of other people around me more than I thought I did.
Our business is small enough for everyone to be able to make
a difference but the isolation of working from home has
tested my resilience. Sometimes I think, ‘How much longer
can we keep going?,’ but I just do, we all do.”
“There are benefits to working from home. I think I have
forged stronger bonds with many colleagues simply because
we have supported each other in our shared adversity. And
I feel much less guilty about working from home, it has
"I have made a conscious
effort to keep mentally well
and stay motivated.
definitely lost its stigma and
that is a good thing, I hope it
stays that way.”
So, where does her
resilience, her inner strength,
her “formidable” side,
come from?
“I think it comes from my
parents. They’ve both had to
uproot, build new lives and
overcome many challenges
along the way. My mother was
always very resourceful and my father has had the resilience
and self-reliance to reinvent himself several times over. He
initially joined the army, then he switched careers to become
a diplomat. In France he learned a new trade as a logistics
manager. After he retired, he studied for a PhD in Oriental
studies before moving to America. For the last few years
he has lived the life of a monk in a catholic monastery in
Missouri, within a community of Vietnamese priests.”
I couldn’t stop myself from raising my eyebrows in
surprise. “Oh yes, the French left a strong legacy of religion
in Vietnam. My father was one of 16 children and about
11 or 12 of them eventually went into the church as priests
or nuns. He is a very determined man and I suppose that’s
where I get it from.”
As I reflected on our conversation, I thought how her
ambition to sing in a choir summed up so much about
Marie-Claire as a person. The desire to be part of a team,
drawing energy from others, shunning the limelight, the
selfless fulfillment she gets from bringing pleasure to people.
That’s Marie-Claire in a nutshell.
By her own admission, she might not have the greatest
singing voice but, with her parents’ resourcefulness and
determination in her genes, don’t bet against her. TNS
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