Hi! I’m Ana, and I’m a Coach at Acre Frameworks. I’m the newest member of the team although I’ve been part of Acre for almost 2 years. I wanted to share my story about why I became a Coach, as it’s not exactly a typical profession that’s talked about at university career days.
I was interested in human behaviour from a young age – I was an observant child (according to my family) and I always asked ‘why’. For example, why people were motivated to do what they do, what made them tick and the reasons behind their decision-making was always fascinating to me. But how could I forge a career out of my interests?
Call it kismet, call it fate, or just good fortune, but a few years ago I discovered the world of organisational psychology. I encountered a world where application of the findings from psychological studies and research, gave organisations the ability to become more efficient, more profitable and more successful. I’d found what I was looking for – something that interested me hugely which I could actually study, learn and then develop into a career.
In particular, one area that interested me is how advanced levels of wellbeing can improve productivity and spark higher levels of creativity among teams and individuals. Being in a place where you are comfortable, listened to and valued is one of the best ways to set yourself up for success and thrive.
When looking into specialist pathways, I pondered different options and came to the conclusion that working to help people improve their wellbeing in workplace settings was where I needed to spend my energy. Current studies suggest that absenteeism costs UK businesses around 14 billion pounds a year, all related to a variety of different wellbeing issues - ranging from mental health issues, physical health issues, burnout, bullying and stress. To me, this is shocking and for the most part, avoidable, if organisations place employee wellbeing towards the top of their agenda.
As a coach I want to focus my efforts towards helping individuals find balance in their lives, starting with the way they are working. The goal of this line of work is to help people develop healthy habits and create a life where they can thrive and live up to their full potential, whilst feeling happy and fulfilled.
I love reading books by authors such as Susan David, Jay Shetty and Angela Duckworth as I find them inspiring, and often, help me see things from a new perspective. My development journey is far from over and my hope is that by studying experts such as these, I can apply their theories and perhaps eventually contribute to this area myself and continue to develop it further.
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