Annamaria Sideri - Adding coaching to the HR toolkit

What led you to coaching?

I started to be curious about coaching almost 7 years ago when some friends mentioned how they benefited from coaching sessions. It was also a time when I was unhappy with my career and I thought that trying coaching could be a new option to achieve professional fulfilment.

I started on my own coaching journey with a great performance coach, and guess what? The coaching helped me achieve a great position, I changed my job, and it was at this very moment that I understood that coaching had empowered me.

"It is still a journey, a beautiful one, because each day allows me to learn something new, to improve, to be a better person than the day before."

 Most people become a coach to change the lives of others… How has coaching benefited your own life?

I worked a lot on my limiting beliefs and on my mindset to overcome fears and obstacles. It was a journey that took me several years and which led me to another level of awareness and empowerment.

It is still a journey, a beautiful one, because each day allows me to learn something new, to improve, to be a better person than the day before…

 Tell us about your journey as a TCA student:

I started to look for a suitable coaching certification but I was not convinced about the programmes I had seen. Then one day I bumped into The Coaching Academy offering an Introduction to Life Coaching event, then in London.

I thought ‘Wow, that’s really great, two days offered, I have never seen this…’, so I took a train from Brussels (Belgium) to London on a very warm morning of July 2019 and was very thrilled about it! That is how it started and I have to admit I spent two empowering and enriching days: it was during those days that I understood that life coaching was what I was looking for.

 How did the qualification slot in with your busy life?

In my case, the Covid pandemic outbreak helped: the Coaching Academy was offering an online diploma, and this was perfect for me since I didn't have to come to London by train from Brussels, but instead, I could follow the modules and exercise at my pace from home. It was simply…perfect!

However, I have to admit I dedicated several weekends to studying and practising because – being in active employment during the day - I wanted to fully benefit from the certification.

What was the most rewarding part of your Coaching journey?

The day I was awarded the diploma: I felt it was the beginning of something new, a journey that I have always wanted to undertake and that has now become reality. Coaching is for me a living process and the fact that I learn and empower myself every day of my life makes it the most rewarding thing I could wish for.

"The way we speak to ourselves and to others has a tremendous impact on our performance and achievement of our goals."

 Tell us about the work you do! How are you using your coaching skills?

I work as Human Resources professional for an International Organisation in Brussels and I use coaching as a tool to help, motivate and empower our staff members.  The outcomes are really incredible: I see staff achieving great results and being more connected with their work, our Organisation and overall, increasing the level of staff engagement and motivation. 

I also had the pleasure to coach some managers and had very positive feedback on the coaching journey we made together.

What’s the biggest area in coaching you are curious about and why?

I am very curious about neuro-linguistic programming since I believe it is very fascinating. The way we speak to ourselves and to others has a tremendous impact on our performance and achievement of our goals.

I experienced this on myself: the day I overcame my limiting beliefs, my life has changed tremendously, in the professional and private life. I would like now to explore more this area to get the most out of it when coaching.

What advice would you give someone wanting to pursue a life coaching career?

To enrol in a  good school/academy when pursuing a coaching certification  It is important to have certified coaches, valuable and reliable trainers. There are many courses on the market, and I find it easy to use the word ‘coach’ when marketing a service since some of those people are not really ‘coaches’ but more …sellers.

Coaching requires discipline, passion and motivation, all qualities I found in the Coaching Academy and to which I am grateful since I learned a lot during my diploma.

What are the best resources that have helped you along your coach training?

I read a lot of online articles, participated in webinars and podcasts, read the Coaching Academy blog and attended some events the Academy organised online…I connected with several great coaches on LinkedIn or on Facebook and did some networking to stay up to date on interesting articles or initiatives. Since I speak several languages, I had the opportunity to follow online events and initiatives in the United Kingdom, Italy, France, the USA, Belgium and more.

Who do you want to be when lockdown is over?  

Would you like to make a positive and lasting difference to others, just like Annamaria does?

Would you like to have a coaching business you can run from the comfort of your own home?  The free Introduction to Life Coaching training sessions are available for you to join. They are interactive, informative and designed to help you understand if training to be a life coach is for you.

Take positive action, project forward and plan for a year to remember for all the right reasons. Choose from available dates here.