Video: GO Figure3 Leadership: Anna-Lisa Frank
While the pace of the world around us–our city, our job, even our commute–moves at a brisk speed, Anna-Lisa Frank, Director, Workplace at Figure3, cuts through the commotion and sees the value in slowing down. Finding solace in solitude, Frank seeks moments of calm within the chaos, finding inspiration in observing the world around her.
For a creatively-driven kid in a small town, the resources available to be fully immersed in the arts were limited for Frank. It was through the parents of a friend (who happened to be art teachers in a neighbouring town) that Frank began her journey into the arts world. Constantly sketching, drawing, and crafting, a careers course in high school eventually introduced architecture and interior design as a way to translate her affinity for creativity into a career. Understanding the growing importance of tech in an ever-evolving world, Frank selected the more electronic-focused interior design program at Sheridan College. A successful three week co-op placement at an interior design firm turned into a job offer, where Frank truly began her initiation into the professional design industry.
Throughout her 12 years with Figure3, Frank has flourished from her start as a Project Designer, to her current role as Director, Workplace. The key to her continued success lies in her ability to remain focused and present, while finding the time to slow down. “My husband and I travel a lot and use the time to immerse ourselves into other environments,” shares Frank. “We love to watch and just observe how people are meandering through and interacting with spaces.” It is in these quiet, wallflower moments that Frank decompresses, and uses observation as an outlet of both relaxation and inspiration.
I love experiencing the wow factor at the end of the project. Seeing a client walk through the space, and having them feel like they have been heard and it’s exactly what they thought they wanted–or even more than what they ever thought they could have, for their employees and themselves.
Anna-Lisa Frank
As a first-time mother to an already outgoing son, Frank’s once-solo commutes to and from work and his daycare, are now used as an opportunity for her little one to divulge details about his day. “This industry and these leadership roles can carry a lot of stress, so it’s important to keep myself present while i’m in the office, and equally present while i’m at home to naturally separate but also balance the two,” she explains.
Stepping into her leadership role at Figure3, Frank now oversees the workplace design team, as well as leading projects for large-scale clients including RioCan and Miller Thomson. To seamlessly harmonize the multitude of moving parts, Frank looks at the big picture strategy, mapping out how all the intricate pieces fit, and pivoting as needed as the project grows and takes shape. Her leadership style is deeply rooted in open dialogue and communication: ensuring that everyone feels their voice is heard, and work is completed with an abundanc e of support towards a common goal. “Success, to me, is having our team feel as though they are functioning as one collective while we work to make our clients feel comfortable and confident in what we are presenting.”
As the world continues to swirl and pulse around her, Frank sidesteps the clamor in search of those bites of quiet contemplation. “Solo running is my time to help clear my head,” she shares. “I can immerse myself in the environment around me and get lost in my own thoughts. This is where most of my best thinking and ideas take place.”
