BEN’S INTERVIEW WITH DR. TONY GRANT
We had a wonderful interview with Australian TV Star/coach psychologist/academic, Dr. Tony Grant on February 25, 2011.
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Interview with Dr. Tony Grant
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ABOUT TONY GRANT
Dr Anthony M. Grant is a Coaching Psychologist. He holds a BA (Hons) (first class honours) in Psychology, a Masters of Arts in Behavioural Science and a PhD. The title of his PhD thesis was “Towards a psychology of coaching: The impact of coaching on meta-cognition, mental health and goal attainment” and is one of few doctoral thesis that explicitly examine Coaching Psychology. He is both a practitioner and an academic.
Tony left school at the age of fifteen with no qualifications, completed his training as a carpenter and ran his own contracting business. Embarking on a second career in direct sales and marketing, he began tertiary studies in 1993 as a mature age student and then commencing a third career in his 30’s as a coaching psychologist.
In January 2000 Tony established the world’s first Coaching Psychology Unit at the School of Psychology at Sydney University where he is the director. The unit offers post-graduate degree programs to Master’s level in Applied Science (Psychology of Coaching), the Master of Organisational Coaching and the Graduate Certificate in Applied Science (Applied Positive Psychology), and Anthony was instrumental in the development and introduction of these programs. His coaching research and practice has frequently been reported in the national and international media. He has co-written and co-edited five books on evidence-based coaching and has many coaching-related publications in the peer-reviewed and professional press. His books on coaching have been translated into eight languages, and his is widely recognised as a key pioneer of coaching psychology.
Qualifications and Professional Affiliations
- PhD (Psychology), M.A,. (Behavioural Science): Macquarie University, Sydney
- B.A. (Hons) in Psychology; first class honours and University Medal: Sydney University
- Member of Australian and British Psychological Societies (APS and BPS)
- VETAB Accredited Workplace Trainer (Cert VI)
- Registered Psychologist (NSW, Australia)
- Chartered Psychologist (BPS)
Academic and Professional Awards
- Harvard University (2009) “Vision of Excellence Award” from McLean Hospital Harvard Medical School, for pioneering work in helping to develop a scientific foundation to coaching.
- British Psychological Society Award (2007) for outstanding professional and scientific contribution to Coaching Psychology (Special Group in Coaching Psychology)
- University of Sydney (Faculty of Science) Excellence in Teaching Award 2008
- University of Sydney (Faculty of Science) Excellence in Teaching Award 2002
- O’Neil Prize in Psychology (1997)
- Dick Thomson Prize in Psychology (1997)
- Australian Psychological Society Prize (1997)
- Blanka Buring Prize (1996)
- Walter Reid Memorial Grant for academic performance (1995; 1996, 1997)
Research Grants and Funded Research
- Australian Research Council Linkage Grant (2007 – 2010) Developing leadership for high stress workplaces: Improving well-being, engagement, productivity and staff retention. Total funding A$3,500,000. Investigators: Cavanagh, M.J., Atkins, P., Grant A.M and Spence, G.B.
- Human Synergistics Transformation Research Grant (2008 – 2011) Transformational change in the workplace: 360 feedback and coaching approaches Total funding A$170,000. Investigators: Grant A.M. and de Vries, C.
- Melbourne Community Foundation (Handbury Fund) (2009 – 2010) The Handbury Project: Powerlessness and Acceptance Research Project Funding $49,670. Investigators: Baijan, G. and Grant A.M
Making Australia Happy
In the fall of 2011, Tony starred in a hit reality TV program for ABC in Australia–Making Australia Happy.
For the first time ever in Making Australia Happy, the latest and most fascinating research from the science of happiness has been compiled, consolidated and taken for a test drive on the suburban streets of Sydney. Tony and his two fellow experts chose eight volunteers from eight walks of life. They represented a range of ages, backgrounds and life circumstances and were unknown to each other.
Their happiness levels were far below the national average on the Happiness 100 Index but they shared the desire to get happy. Tony and his two fellow experts had just eight weeks to change the volunteers’ scores and their lives.
In our interview, we’ll ask Tony why their interventions and the program, itself, was so successful. And we’ll ask what lessons we can draw from the show for our work and lives.
The Eight Volunteers from the hit TV Show Making Australia Happy
