Anna Carr

A coach and facilitator who combines social science analytical frameworks with a deeply personal discovery of how we are BEING in the world and who we become in the workplace.

Anna’s academic curiosity has led her to delve deeply into the philosophy of science, ideas and relationships and how people relate to themselves and each other in expressing their preferred futures.

The more she looked – and applied herself to original and authentic inquiry – the more she discovered about fulfilling her own and others’ potential.

She now works with people who forward the public interest, whether in government, for-purpose or in community sectors, to transform individuals’ default futures. She supports people to draw out, challenge and nurture the leader within.

Leadership Communication Ontology Coaching Relationships Trust Confidence Awareness Assertiveness Integrity Vulnerability Care Fear Authenticity Responsibility Influence Overwhelm

Aligning our internal and external lenses to the world creates a new view.

Anna’s vision is for humans to act collaboratively with higher purpose and go beyond themselves to influence future generations. She asserts that collective outcomes are more likely to result in sustainable connections and expanded well-being among and between people and our planet over time.

Three decades of experience: one each in community development, academia and the public sector.

Now in her fourth decade, Anna brings a multifaceted perspective and an uncommon depth of expertise to her coaching, consultancy and facilitation work. Her academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Communication Studies, a Master of Economic Development, a PhD in Environmental Studies and a Postdoctoral Fellowship funded by the Australian Research Council. Her subsequent book Grass Roots and Green Tape appealed to a wide variety of natural resource management practitioners and led to professional positions in state and federal government.

Social and environmental scientist with international research experience.

Anna was awarded the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation Ecological Conversations Fellowship in 2002. This unique opportunity led to invitations to lecture and conduct research on science in society. She focused on citizen science for environmental stewardship in the UK, USA, Europe and on home soil in Australia.

Bridging scientific inquiry with lived experience and the discovery of who and how we are being.

Early in her career, Anna realised there is more to solving problems than acquiring and applying scientific, evidentiary and technical skills. She drew upon theory, practice and real-world discovery to refine how we look at and frame what we see. Her philosophical inquiry and personal experience led her to discover the importance of integrating who and how we are being with our ways of seeing and relating to science, knowledge and each other. She now focuses on the union between our day-to-day individual experience and the collective articulation of a vision for society.

Many teams are challenged at work. Few experience being cohesive and effective. It makes a big difference.

Anna empowers teams to actively address situations in which they may unwittingly repeat the past or knowingly do nothing in the face of uncomfortable truths. She encourages teams to generate a culture of communication and innovation. She maintains that focusing on content and subject expertise or proficiency in process and program design are necessary but insufficient conditions for team effectiveness. Instead, she focuses on the human dimensions underlying team behaviours, decisions and actions. To support team members in understanding themselves and others, Anna investigates team awareness, authenticity and vulnerability. Doing so results in effectiveness, shared outcomes, deeper satisfaction and expanded workplace engagement.

A logical process of enquiry, assessment, development and evaluation contributes to effectiveness.

Anna combines participatory enquiry, facilitation and action research to structure team growth. Often iterative, she adopts an organic approach. First, leaders and team members assess latent leadership opportunities in their relationship to work. Next, they identify opportunities to develop trust and communication within a team and align on preferred interventions. Last, the team commits to practice, reflect and evaluate as they grow and adapt.

Anna’s leadership journey led her to serve on the Board of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.

Recognising and expanding individual potential can end up changing whole cultures. Anna mentors and coaches aspiring, emerging and established leaders. She is passionate about individual self-development and expression for community advantage. This is relevant for those wishing to test their leadership readiness and confidence. It applies to people transitioning into a new area of professional interest and to those in existing roles.

Personal Life

Aside from her professional pursuits, Anna loves spending time with her children and grandchildren, bush-walking with her partner and being in nature. She is also a qualified Zoomba instructor. She offers weekly classes for anyone wishing to extend their fitness through movement and music.