Portrait of an Agile Worker
Portrait of an Agile Worker
By: Bravetta Hassell
Part of building a fast-paced learning organization is fostering a learning mindset.
It’s a managerial thing, said Jeanne Beliveau-Dunn, vice president and general manager at Cisco Systems, Inc. “We find that if you hire leaders who are learners, they’ll hire more learners. An agile workforce takes people with a mindset that they’re good to learn.”
Agile workers are OK with failing, she said. Or with not being terrific at something right out of the gate. Better, they’re open to trying new things, and they are resilient and willing to learn and work hard.
The following employee characteristics are also important when building an agile organization:
- Self-directed
- Purpose-driven
- Adaptable
- Creative thinker
- Innovative
- Problem-solver
- Leader through influence
- Collaborative
Bravetta Hassell is a Chief Learning Officer associate editor.