Books

Being Strategic: Plan for Success; Out-think Your Competitors; Stay Ahead of Change

Most of us have a basic sense of the difference between strategy and tactics–the big picture versus the details. But when it comes time to actually put it into practice, we’re not sure how to do it in a way that works.

In Being Strategic, noted consultant Erika Andersen helps the reader approach business–and life–strategically, explaining why it’s important, what’s involved in doing it, and how to do it. Being Strategic offers 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,” your ultimate goal
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

Built around the story of 13th-century Welsh nobles building a castle, and weaving in dozens of real-life examples from her practice, which has helped top restaurateur Danny Meyer and many others, Andersen offers a complete course in turning around a business, or a life.

Buy the book

Growing Great Employees: Turning Ordinary People into Extraordinary Performers

“Business is hard enough without the insecurities of both boss and employee. So it’s refreshing to see a book that delivers current thinking on personnel practice while prodding managers to recognize the tensions.”

- Harvard Business Review

Handbook for the Craft of Management

Erika Andersen has written the first truly accessible and comprehensive guide to the art and practice of employee development.

Growing Great Employees will help you understand why becoming a skilled people manager is worth the time and effort required, what is involved in becoming that kind of manager, and especially how to do it.