TEDx Zurich Talk

Rob Thompson’s TEDx talk “Red-Liners, Blue-Liners and Green-Liners – A new perspective on managing difficult social situations” at TEDx Zürich 2020 was streamed on Thursday 10th December 2020 at 7pm CET.

Information on Rob’s session is here:

10.12 – Post Event

The entire program is here:

TEDxZurich 2020

The talk is not yet uploaded for on-demand viewing. Talks will be published in 2021 on the TEDxZurich website:

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What people have said about RTTA workshops:

Thank you . . .

“Thank you very much for the course, it filled me up with a lot of positive energy.”

Postdoc,

Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried.

Fantastic workshop . . .

“What a fantastic workshop! I learned a lot about networking and people overall. This is a workshop that would be of use to anyone no matter what profession since much of the exiting stuff is universal. Thank you Rob for opening my eyes on so many points!”

PhD. Candidate,

Dahlem Research School, Freie Universität, Berlin.

Professional and experienced trainer . . .

“We appreciate the reliable and engaging cooperation with Rob. He is a very professional and experienced trainer. His workshops regularly receive very good reviews by participants. Our doctoral candidates and postdocs cherish especially the open structure and the fact that they decide on the topics dealt with in the workshops.”

Coordinator,

Dahlem Research School, Freie Universität, Berlin.

New insights . . .

“Thank you very much for your excellent talk in Münster. I gained some new insights which will be very useful in everyday business situations.”

Business Unit Manager,

Management Consultancy, Münster.

Of great help . . .

“It is amazing how much I learned during this two days of workshop! The skills we discussed and developed there will definitively be of great help for me in the future not only for my career path but also in my everyday life. Rob knows how to make the atmosphere pleasant for everyone to feel comfortable, speak and exchange ideas. Thanks a lot!”

PhD. Candidate,

ETH, Zurich.

Awesome . . .

“Thanks for an awesome workshop!”

PhD. Candidate,

Max f. Perutz Laboratories, Vienna.

Someone who makes you REALIZE confidence and strengths . . .

“Finally, a program that does not TELL you to be more confident or come with a RECIPE book (neither ever worked anyway), BUT someone who makes you REALIZE confidence and strengths and simply WANT to go after them and enforce them in your everyday behaviour.”

PhD. Candidate,

Dahlem Research School, Freie Universität, Berlin.

Very glad to join . . .

“I was very glad to join in your perfect workshop.”

PhD. Candidate,

Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG) - Centre for Materials and Coastal Research.

Still is a lot of stuff to think about . . .

“I really enjoyed your workshop and your workshop style. There was and still is a lot of stuff to think about and to digest and the workshop definitely made me much more aware of certain points.”

PhD. Candidate,

Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig.

Remarkable . . .

“The workshop was indeed remarkable.”

PhD. Candidate,

University Caen Basse-Normandie, France.

I did not want to leave . . .

“My first intention was to attend the workshop for 1 hour, as I was not actively looking for a new job. However, at the end of the workshop, I did not want to leave, as there is so much more to learn from Rob about ways to excel at work and beyond. Thank you!”

Management Consultant,

Sofia, Bulgaria.

Wonderful seminar that left me positively energized . . .

“If there is any workshop I would love to attend over and over again or recommend it to anyone, then it must be Rob’s. Thank you so much for the wonderful seminar that left me positively energized and ready for any leadership role.”

PhD. Candidate,

Medizinische Hochschule Hannover / Hannover Medical School.

Most useful . . .

“Just want to let you know that your workshop was the most fun one ever, and I also have the feeling that it will turn out to be the most useful one.”

Postdoc,

Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried.

I feel more confident . . .

“Thank you for your workshop, it was resourceful, entertaining and refreshing all at the same time. I feel more confident, even my colleagues (!!!) noticed that.”

Postdoc,

Dahlem Research School, Freie Universität, Berlin.

Implemented the ideas . . .

“First ever workshop after which I implemented the ideas and noticed some change.”

Postdoc,

Dahlem Research School, Freie Universität, Berlin.

Excellent!

.
“Excellent! I felt very energetic after the workshop. The workshop made me think about different aspects of leadership and better understanding myself and others in leadership and conflicting types of situations.”

Postdoc,

Max Planck Institute of Brain Research. Frankfurt am Main.

Topics that matter . . .

“If I have to describe the workshop in one word, I would say it was fantastic. Great atmosphere, friendly brainstorming about topics that matter not only in your work but also in private life. One of the best workshops I attended so far.”

Postdoc,

University of Luebeck.

A different angle . . .

“Thanks for the great workshop! It really made me see things from a different angle even though it is common sense. The atmosphere was amazing!”

PhD. Candidate,

Max f. Perutz Laboratories, Vienna.

Tackle every issue . . .

“The fact that Rob allows participants to choose their own topics allows him to tackle every issue so that everyone is satisfied.”

PhD. Candidate,

Charité-Universitaetsmedizin, Berlin.

I feel better armed now.

“Rob’s workshop provided me with an effective intelligible framework to disentangle my apprehension of tricky professional interactions. If only I had been told all this much earlier! I’m sure I would have spared myself months of listening unavailingly to the wrong persons and trying to follow the wrong advice. I feel better armed now.”

Postdoc group leader.

Dahlem Research School, Freie Universität, Berlin.

Accessible . . .

“Rob was very approachable and found a very accessible way to convey useful theoretical concepts in a very digestible form for the typically social science limited natural scientist.”

PhD. Candidate,

Medizinische Hochschule Hannover / Hannover Medical School.

Essential . . .

“I have attended many workshops of this kind over the past years, but this was by far the best one, mainly because of all the easy-to-follow daily-life advices. I also liked that we covered so many different aspects, that are or will become essential for our future career planning.”

PhD. Candidate,

Medizinische Hochschule Hannover / Hannover Medical School.

Changed the way I see leadership . . .

“Over the last few days I went several times through my notes. Even if I repeat myself, your workshop was really an eye opener and changed the way I see leadership, job hunting and the importance of self-responsibility. Regarding this, your handout provides a great support, and also facilitate to deepen the content. Thank you very much!”

PhD. Candidate.

University of Basel, Switzerland.

A different and original slant . . .

“I have known Rob for many years. I have always been impressed by his insight into people. He often has a different and original slant on situations and an understanding of why people are behaving the way they are. He is very approachable and gets involved, but at the same time is able to analyse situations as though from the outside.
This allows Rob very often to provide a new and simplifying view on things that explains the real underlying causes. This enables people and businesses to understand difficulties, and to adopt a new approach to them and overcome them.”

Client Reporting Manager.

I really learned a lot . . .

“The teamleading workshop given by Rob Thompson was one of the best workshops I ever attended. Due to its interactivity and the topics chosen directly by the participants time was flying. I really learned a lot and will probably also make use of this knowledge in my daily life. I am looking forward to the next workshop. Thank you!”

PhD. Candidate,

University of Luebeck.

Informative . . .

“Thanks for a wonderful and informative workshop! Truly!”

International Max Planck Research School Coordinator.

New perspective . . .

“Thank you very much for the notes. I am also thankful for the new perspective I got on the workshop, it certainly helps with the handling of some people!”

PhD. Candidate,

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität, Hannover.

Transformative.

“I have never seen a more engaging and passionate life coach. I am glad I attended. The content was very transformative.”

PhD. Candidate,

European Forest Institute. Joensuu, Finland.

Rob’s workshop changed me . . .

“Attending Rob’s workshop changed me from being very nervous about networking and job hunting to actually looking forward to it. Rob managed to give this tailored workshop in a very pleasant atmosphere.”

PhD. Candidate,

ETH, Zurich.

Thank you . . .

“Thank you again for the seminar. I liked the day. And I was already able to make use of some of the things we talked about.”

Professor,

University of Frankfurt.

Insightful . . .

“Thanks for your very entertaining and insightful workshop.”

Professor,

University of Luebeck.

A positive outcome.

“Thanks again for the best ever workshop we had this week. I’m already implementing the ideas we discussed and have a positive outcome.”

Postdoc,

Dahlem Research School, Freie Universität, Berlin.

The most “Aha!” experiences I ever had . . .

“The course was the one with the most “Aha!” experiences I ever had. Many possibilities for self-reflection. Rob was a great and inspiring teacher.”

Researcher,

University of Luebeck.

It opened my mind to different perspectives . . .

“The workshop was brilliant, made me think about different points of views that I have never thought before. It is a great amount of material and information to process, however it opened my mind to different perspectives regarding work strategies and personal communication.”

PhD. Candidate,

Dahlem Research School, Freie Universität, Berlin.

I didn’t expect to hear anything like that . . .

“I finally found somebody who could analytically describe many (if not all) of the negative and positive behaviours I see around me almost every day. And I didn’t expect to hear anything like that during the workshop, so I was really positively surprised.”

Postdoc,

University of Basel, Switzerland.

Changed perspective . . .

“The whole perspective I had for dealing with people completely changed after this workshop.”

PhD. Candidate,

Max Planck Institute of Iron Research, Düsseldorf.

I learned some really valuable life lessons.

First of all, Rob has a great sense of humor and a very special, but probably unforgettable way of leading us through this workshop, that made us understand a lot of things. The discussions during the workshop were very open and deep and I felt free to ask a lot of questions or make comments. Besides this I really enjoyed the open workshop structure, that gave us time to talk and learn about the topics that interested us the most. I felt very valued and heard during the whole time, which motivated me even more. Finally I think I learned some really valuable life lessons in this workshop and I really thank Rob for this opportunity.”

PhD. Candidate.

Leibniz Universität Hannover (LUH).

Moments that influenced your career . . .

“If you look back at your life and try to identify the moments that influenced your career, your workshop would be one of them.”

Postdoc,

Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm.

Inspiring . . .

“Very interesting and inspiring workshop with participants completely in control.”

Professor,

University of Luebeck.

The content is useful for everyone!

“The atmosphere in this workshop was one of the best I ever had: Rob was very helpful and flexible in terms of topics, participants could discuss freely about their thoughts and opinions. It was relaxed and open but never boring. Thanks for a very good workshop, the content is useful for everyone!”

PhD. Candidate,

ETH, Zurich.

Very interactive . . .

“The workshop with Rob is a great opportunity to discuss all issues and situations in academic management you were ever interested. The form of the course is very interactive and gives a great opportunity for everybody to be actively involved. Furthermore, I have to admit, that Rob is very big expert in communication and management, he is very charismatic and has a great sense of humor, it was such a pleasure to take part in his workshop.”

PhD. Candidate,

University of Hamburg.

It was one of the best workshops they ever attended!

“We wanted a Scientific Management workshop and a colleague recommended RTTA – it was a good choice: All participants agreed it was one of the best workshops they ever attended!”

Coordinator of the Integrated Graduate College,

University of Würzburg.

One of the best workshops ever!

“One of the best workshops ever!”

Postdoc,

University of Würzburg.

Interactive and dynamic . . .

“It was my first workshop with Rob and the experience was just amazing. Very interactive and dynamic. All the problems presented were attacked from different angles and the solutions were not just presented, he lead us to them through brainstorming and logic. I will definitely attend more workshops from him.”

PhD. Candidate,

International Max Planck Research School for Ultrafast Imaging & Structural Dynamics / DESY, Hamburg.

Wonderful workshops

“Thank you for the wonderful workshops, I enjoyed them very much!”

PhD. Candidate.

Fritz Haber Institute, Berlin.

Extremely valuable . . .

“I attended Rob’s course several years ago. His advices (and actual insights) regarding leadership and conflict management were extremely valuable to me and have left their footprint in my leadership qualities and thus helped me during my career.”

Professor,

University of Wuerzburg.

. . . quite some eye openers.

“It was an amazing workshop and the only one so far I actually learned something new and helpful for getting through my PhD time and had quite some eye openers. Besides being useful, I really enjoyed it and felt really refreshed and encouraged afterwards! Thank you!”

PhD. Candidate,

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich / München.

. . . a really non-traditional point of view.

“I would strongly recommend people to go to Rob’s workshops which are really tailored for your specific needs and wishes with a really non-traditional point of view.”

Postdoc,

Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich.

. . . every single advice you gave during your workshop was important.

“I want to thank you Rob, because every single advice you gave during your workshop was important, especially those about the things that are between the lines.”

Dr. Inga Oberpichler, Geschäftsführung,

Center for Doctoral Studies Lübeck (CDSL), Universität zu Lübeck.

Helpful and motivating . . .

“It was indeed one of the most helpful and motivating workshops I’ve ever attended.”

Postdoc,

University of Würzburg.

Learned a great deal.

“Really enjoyed the two days and learned a great deal. The red, blue and green liners will remain with me forever!”

Postdoc,

Dahlem Research School, Freie Universität, Berlin.

Wonderful and inspiring . . .

“Thank you again for your wonderful and inspiring course.”

Postdoc,

University of Bayreuth.

How you can overcome low self-confidence . . .

“What impressed me most was Rob’s self-confidence model and how you can overcome low self-confidence. I feel like this is a skill not only useful in job hunting, but also in daily life. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.”

PhD. Candidate,

Cluster of Excellence Engineering of Advanced Materials (EAM), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU).

. . . helped us to reflect and reinvent ourselves.

“I wanted to thank you again for the course and the extra-material you sent us afterwards. I especially liked your style of moderation – instead of suggesting a fixed schedule you supported the positive dynamics in the group and helped us to reflect and reinvent ourselves. Thank you!”

International Max Planck Research School Coordinator.

Amazing course . . .

“Your lessons are coming in handy right now. Thank you for that amazing course you conducted here in Jena.”

PhD. Candidate,

Friedrich Schiller University, Jena.

Really flexible . . .

“I’ve attended the 2 days workshop given by Rob and it was a real positive surprise because of the approach Rob is using to present.
It’s not like a lecture where the speaker is coming and tells you how things are but a more a reflection about different topics, with concrete examples. Rob is also really flexible in the themes approached during the workshop and everybody could add a particular or specific point more related to his own wish. The atmosphere was really relaxed during these 2 days and everybody could speak freely about his own experience. I would strongly recommend people to go to Rob’s workshops which are really tailored for your specific needs and wishes with a really not-traditional point of view.”

Postdoc,

Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich.

Immediate impact . . .

“Amazingly the workshop was tailored specifically to the needs of the participants, no other workshop I attended managed to have such an immediate impact on my work and career.”

PhD. Candidate,

University of Luebeck.

Huge impact

“I would like you to know that your workshop had a huge impact on me and I will be forever grateful for that!”

PhD. Candidate.

Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried.

An authentic and inspiring workshop!

“An authentic and inspiring workshop! Our PhD students profited not only from Rob’s great experience as a trainer but also from his knowledge of the scientific working environment.
In the work with the participants, he effectively “en passant” demonstrated how humour and a high level of commitment can create a positive and motivating working atmosphere: a true lesson in leadership skills! Plus, truly a workshop highlight for our doctoral students.”

Workshop Coordinator,

Graduate School for Computing in Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Lübeck.