Andrea J. Simon, PhD (Andi) is a Corporate Anthropologist who specializes in working with organizations that need or want to change. Her company, Simon Associates Management Consultants (SAMC), applies the theories, methods and tools of ethnographic research, culture probes and storytelling to help clients “see, feel and think” in new ways. A trained practitioner in Blue Ocean Strategy,® a facilitator and trainer in Innovation Games® and an expert in Inbound Marketing and the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI), Dr. Simon excels in helping companies and organizations adapt to changing times.
Dr. Simon holds a BA from Pennsylvania State University and a PhD from City University of New York. Prior to opening her consulting business in 2002, Dr. Simon held executive management positions in a number of financial services and healthcare organizations. She has served on the faculty of Ramapo College of New Jersey, where she was a tenured professor of Anthropology and American Studies, and Washington University in St. Louis, where she was a visiting professor teaching Entrepreneurship.
Dr. Simon’s clients include healthcare institutions, manufacturers, financial firms, colleges and universities, service industries and not-for-profits in the U.S., Mexico and Canada — all of which need or want to change. Her upcoming book, "On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take your Business to New Heights," due out in July 2016, focuses on how the theory, method and tools of anthropology can help organizations continue to grow in today’s turbulent economic times.
Recent Posts by Andi
Here is another great blog from Andrea Simon. It’s a great example of how a brave leader used a crisis to spur dramatic change. Ever been on a sinking ship? That was the state of Centenary College when Dr. Kenneth L. Hoyt took over as president in 2001. To say…
Here is a guest blog from Andrea Simon. It’s a great follow-up to my blog on learning from Chipotle’s Crisis. How could something called corporate anthology, help Chipotle and other businesses change proactively? Read on, and Andrea explains. I always enjoy my workshops with CEOs. They teach me a lot…
The human brain resists change, which in evolutionary terms, is a good thing. Resisting change is a reasonable survival tactic for individuals: repeating tasks we’re familiar with takes less brain energy and has known outcomes, while making changes to one's routine creates a higher short-term risk of mistakes. But for a business, resistance to change…
The phenomenally successful book, "Blue Ocean Strategy" by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, powerfully teaches business leaders of all stripes how to "go where the profits and growth are and the competition isn’t." As a trained practitioner in Blue Ocean Strategy® who has been working with clients for years on how…
How a Bold, Curious Leader Turned Laclede Chain Around In my new book “On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights,” I share a story about a client, Laclede Chain, that was “on the brink.” Stuck or stalled, however you describe it, Laclede had grown and captured market share but then reached…
At a recent workshop, I spoke to a roomful of Human Resources directors about Blue Ocean Strategy® and how it was relevant to their roles in organizations that are changing. Their biggest challenge, they said, was less about adapting their strategies or enabling their organization to execute on new strategies. Rather,…
CEOs and executives typically spend much of their leadership time at the head of a successful ship. But when it becomes necessary to adapt to change, they have a hard time steering that ship when the market winds shift and they need to change course. Do they need to add…
In my last blog, I introduced the concept of Inbound Marketing, the best way to turn strangers into customers, then promoters, of your products and services. I talked about how Inbound is all about attracting interested buyers in an “inbound” rather than an “outbound” way. And I explained that, as…
Are you a plastic surgeon trying to attract new patients? Or a hotel chain needing to convince travelers to choose you rather than your competitors? Or an IT firm wanting to broadcast your new hours, new hires and additional services? The answer to all of these: Inbound Marketing. Inbound Marketing is the best…
How much does Vistage Membership cost? July 3, 2017 When I meet Business Owners, Presidents or CEO’s who are…
The Art of Question Asking: The Other Half of… July 12, 2011 Elvis Costello keeps singing in my head. “What so hard…
What is The Difference between Vistage and YPO July 17, 2017 In his book, Think and Grow Rich, Dr. Napoleon Hill…
Decoding and Avoiding Upward Delegation December 15, 2014 I was only 26 and excited about my new role…
Using the Enneagram: Denial As A Defense August 16, 2013 After my first blog about some of my experiences as…
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