Erika Andersen

Every company says things like "People are our most important asset. We grow and develop our employees." But very few actually do it, usually because they simply don't know how. Most business people focus on getting good at their particular specialty, such as finance, marketing, or sales. But when they rise to management and need to deal with sticky issues, such as underperforming staffers and work place conflict, these stars usually flounder. And quick-fix advice books don't really help them become more skilled, confident, and effective managers of people. Growing Great Employeesis different. It shows readers how to- influence through listening interview with clarity get people to feel like part of the team from day one give effective feedback delegate realistically Growing Great Employeesis conversational, anecdotal, and humorous-much more fun to read than the typical advice to managers. It's a guide to creating a work place where people thrive and get great results.

Turning Ordinary People Into Extraordinary Performers

Growing Great Employees

Leading so people will follow

how to plan for success, outthink your competitors, and stay ahead of change

Being strategic

We are operating in a world defined by constant connection, rapid change, and abundant choices. News that once took months, even years, to spread now reaches across the globe in seconds. Advances in medicine and science are pushing boundaries with gene therapy and stem cell transplants. And decisions about where and how to work and live are nearly endless. As new knowledge--and the possibilities that arise from that knowledge--propels us forward, leadership readiness expert and renowned author Erika Andersen suggests that success in today's world requires the ability to acquire new knowledge and skills quickly and continuously--in spite of our mixed feelings about being a novice. In her newest book, Be Bad First, Erika explores how we can become masters of mastery; proficient in the kind of high-payoff learning that's needed today. With assessments and exercises at the close of every chapter, she encourages readers to embrace being bad on the way to being great--to be novices over and over again as we seek to learn and acquire the new skills that will allow us to thrive in this fast-changing world.

Get Good at Things Fast to Stay Ready for the Future

Be Bad First

STRATEGY? TACTICS? CONFUSED? How many times have you sat in a meeting and heard someone use the word "strategic?" As in: "We're not being very strategic about X." or "We need a strategic plan for project Y." And, if your organization is like most, everyone in the meeting nods wisely, the meeting drones on, people endlessly debate how to approach the situation at hand, with – generally – no one the wiser as to what "strategic" really means. Next time, respond: "Being strategic means consistently making those core directional choices that will best move us toward our hoped-for future. Is this what we're doing?" Everybody talks about strategy, but there is a big gap between discussing strategy, defining strategy and actually being strategic -- so you can accomplish something. This book helps you approach business—and life—strategically, explaining what strategy is, why it's important, and how to do it. Being Strategic offers you a step-by-step model and skills for strategic thought and action that are broadly applicable and thoroughly practical: • First, get clear about the problem you're trying to solve • Then, figure out where you're starting from • Now, imagine your "castle on the hill," the future you want to create. • Identify the "trolls under the bridge"; the obstacles in your path • Next, outline the path to the castle: your core strategies and the tactics for implementing them. • Re-evaluate your strategy and your tactics as conditions change Framed around the story of 13th-century Welsh nobles building an actual castle, and weaving in dozens of real-life examples from her practice, which has helped restaurateur Danny Meyer and many others, noted consultant Erika Andersen offers a complete course in turning around a business, or a life.

Erika Andersen

About

Books

Join the club