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Close This Window Interview: Erika Andersen
by: Admin on
Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 Time: 3:02 PM
Since 1980, Andersen has become renowned for effectively promoting learning and change in ways uniquely tailored to her clients’ challenges, goals, and culture. She focuses on thoroughly understanding each organization and on collaborating with her clients in ways that are engaging, direct, and “learner-friendly.” Much of Andersen’s recent work has focused on organizational visioning and development, executive coaching, and collaborative change and learning. Her books and learning guides have been translated into Spanish, Turkish, German, French, Russian and Chinese, and she has been frequently quoted in national media, including Glamour, Fortune, The New York Times, Forbes Online, and BlogTalk Radio. She is the author of Growing Great Employees: Turning Ordinary People into Extraordinary Performers andBeing Strategic: Plan for Success; Out-think Your Competitors, and Stay Ahead of Change. Here is a brief excerpt of my interview of Andersen. Morris: The title of Growing Great Employees invokes a horticultural metaphor. Let’s extend it. What about “soil,” selection of “seeds,” where they are “planted,” and what attention is then required? Andersen: I’m rolling with you, Bob: “soil” is the environment you create within which your “plants” can flourish. I’ve often said that listening is the critical skill for creating good “soil” – when managers are skillful and genuine listeners, it creates an open, fertile environment where employees can best thrive and grow. As for “selecting seeds” and “deciding where to plant them,” in order to select the right seeds and know where to put them, you have to first be clear about the kind of garden you’re trying to create, and then you have to have a good way to tell whether a particular plant will work in your garden, and in the place you want to “plant” it. Getting clear about the kind of “garden” you want entails both outlining the “what” – the things your department or organization wants accomplish, and the “how” – the way you’ll work together to accomplish those things. Once you’re clear about that, you can craft job descriptions that will help you achieve your “what” and “how.” Finally, scenario-based interviewing, based on those criteria, will allow you to tell whether a particular “plant” will thrive and help create the garden you desire. And the attention that’s required once you’ve done all that, and selected the best “plants” for your garden? Well, that’s why I wrote the rest of Growing Great Employees! Morris: Extending the metaphor one more time: Please describe the “master gardener” who is responsible for the workplace “garden.” What is her or his “green thumb”? Andersen: If I had to summarize that “green thumb” in one sentence, it would be understanding that you can’t make employees grow or perform any more than you can make a plant do those things: you can only choose the best plants for your garden, put them in a place where they’re most likely to do well, and do your best to create the optimal conditions for them to flourish.
Andersen invites you to check out the resources at this Web site: About the Author
If you wish to read the complete interview, please contact me at interllect@mindspring.com. Rating: Not yet rated Login to vote | Not Registered? Create an account Comments
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Sat, 13 Mar 2010 at 1:02 AM, by
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