Issue 1 2019

30 Acquisition International - Issue 1 2019 Aspiring Future Competence (AFC) is a learning, development and coaching consultancy dedicated to delivering bespoke learning solutions to organisations and individuals via training interventions and coaching programmes. To celebrate the company’s recognition in this year’s AI Global Excellence Awards as 2019’s Most Outstanding Individual Training Services – UK we profile it and explore the secrets behind its phenomenal success. ince inception in 2002, AFC has offered bespoke personal and business transformation, behavioural change and coaching programmes for its valued clients. This is accomplished using expertise to ensure a streamlined, well-crafted programme with an action and development plan for which the individual is responsible. Following this, the AFC team collaborate with clients to help them to discover new tools and techniques to bring about positive change and empowerment in individuals and teams. This innovative, client-focused approach was developed by Owner, Founder and Director Andree Funnell, who has vast experience in learning, development, coaching and HR. For the past sixteen years she has been working as a Learning and Development Consultant and Coach working with private, public and not for profit organisations all with completely different cultures and values. During Andree’s 20 years+ experience in a corporate environment as a HR & Training Manager, she worked in industries and business areas such as oil and gas, retail, logistics and sales and marketing. In these roles Andree dealt with a wide variety of personal staff issues which included; mental health, drug and alcohol dependence, financial problems, marital and many more. With a natural coaching and empathetic nature this enabled her to build rapport and engage with colleagues and staff at a personal level in order to provide the essential support they needed. This vast experience helps with managing the challenges AFC faces and support its wide range of clients. Complimenting her past experience, Andree is a qualified professional trainer, coach and NLP Practitioner who has a passion for helping others to develop and grow to the reach their full potential. She has a natural supportive style and a high level of emotional intelligence which gives her the ability to engage with her clients at a deeper level. The courses run by AFC are interactive, fun and thought provoking and take into account that people learn through experiential training. Andree believes core values are fundamental in understanding oneself and the impact you have on others and are the essence of a person’s personality and behavioural traits. AFC have included this in many of their course subjects. It is essential to ensure that an individual’s core values are aligned with those of the organisation they work for. Trust is a key component of any training and coaching relationship and providing a safe environment is critical in order for the individual to feel comfortable and engaged. AFC’s core values are: Integrity, Honesty, Trust, Passion, Respect and Commitment. Thanks to these values, AFC is able to drive success for clients and teams alike. Creating a relaxed, trusting and fun environment is Creating Competence Through Core Values important as this helps build greater rapport with the course delegates and in turn this promotes a healthier learning experience. As a qualified trainer Andree also uses coaching interventions in her workshops (management tools and techniques) to optimise learning outcomes for individuals. Coaching is empowering as it facilitates the individual’s ability to seek their own solutions to the problem. The future looks bright for AFC as the company seeks to further grow and flourish, bolstered by Andree’s ongoing personal success. She has written a book called ‘ Behind the Mask ’ which is about authenticity and living according to your true values. This is due to be published early in 2019. The book is based on a training and coaching programme developed by AFC which has been delivered to client organisations as an in-house programme and can also be used as a stand-alone coaching programme for private clients. It is a self-help book designed to be a thought provoking and an interactive tool for self-reflection, enabling the reader to identify their true self and live the life they desire. Showcasing this through Andree’s book will allow AFC to further establish itself as a key player in the modern learning and development consultancy space over the years to come. S Company: Aspiring Future Competence Contact: Andree Funnell Website: https://afcconsultants.co.uk/