Coach In The Spotlight - Anita Bevan

My story is a simple one. 

I have lived and worked in several European countries. Mostly in big corporate multinationals managing large departments and function executives.  Working for multinationals I was and am fascinated by the different cultures and environments found there. I learned to adapt to those cultures and learned to deal with them, not only in work but also outside it.

I have always been interested in people  in getting to know who they are, what makes them get up in the morning, what motivates them and exploring what lies behind the person. Through my work I found that a lot of non performing employees were in the wrong jobs and that nobody had cared to explore the reasons behind their non-performance.
So, in some way or other I managed and mentored quite a lot of people in business and have helped them move on to the next stage of their careers. When I became a freelance consultant working as a project manager and helping companies to look at employee’s performance and behaviour, I was introduced to the coaching methodologies. This made me curious and I started on my journey to discover more.   I quickly found that I liked this structured process which could be applied either in work or in life. It gives a person responsibility for their actions and finding their own solutions.

I had the opportunity to follow the Coaching Academy home study course which fitted in very well with my other work. I set my goal to finish it within 1.5 years which I actually achieved.  Although I did not attend the ‘live’ coaching seminars where there is a lot of interaction with other students, I listened to the many mentoring CD’s, read many books, noted down what I was experiencing and what I needed to focus on. I also had a lot of support from the members of the Coaching Academy who are always ready to answer any questions and give you some mentoring time. The most interesting part of this journey was interacting with other students, comparing notes, exchanging ideas and learning from each other. It also made me focus more on the here and now, on my own circumstances and how I could help others on their journey.

Being a freelance coach and mentor gives me the right work life balance as it enables me to organise my time so that I can give the right focus to my clients and also to my home. 

Coaching gives me the tools to develop my inner self and awareness, it enables me to utilise the right tools and techniques when facing life and others around me.   It can be applied to all walks of life, be it at home or in business.It gives me the ability to make better choices and take more effective decisions and actions.

My favourite question during a coaching session is - Tell me your story, what drives you and motivates you? This always helps me to start understanding what the person is all about, and what lies beneath the surface.

For those thinking of becoming a coach or who want to learn more about coaching my advice would be – go for it – you can only gain from the experience which may in turn open other opportunities for you. For people in training do not give up, there are endless work opportunities with your acquired skill, not only in helping others but in applying it for yourself in your everyday life.