Stefka Anderson is the HR Director for Global R&D and Global Support Functions at Driscoll's, the second-highest selling brand in the US.

In her role as a strategic HR business partner, Stefka works closely with leadership teams to set people strategy that's directly aligned with business strategy—what she describes as three concentric circles where the HR strategy sits within the business unit strategy, which sits within the overall organizational strategy.

She supports Global R&D, which is responsible for breeding Driscoll's proprietary berry varieties and includes highly scientific sub-functions, farming, plant health management, and deployment solutions for growers.

In this conversation with Stefka Anderson, HR Director for Global R&D at Driscoll's, we dive into how Driscoll's Global R&D is training leaders to increase change agility. Together, they designed and delivered a comprehensive 10-month "Change Agility" program, that transformed how their entire function (which includes hundreds of employees and spans multiple disciplines and time zones) engages in decision-making and the change process.

The Challenge: Speed vs. Engagement
Driscoll's faced a classic leadership dilemma: how to move quickly in a rapidly changing world while still engaging their brilliant, passionate workforce in meaningful ways. With everything from climate change to AI impacting their industry, they needed a framework that honored both agility and their core values of passion, humility, and trustworthiness.

The Solution: The Widget Framework

They implemented the Working Genius model, using what's called the "WIDGET" process that maps how all work gets done:

• Wonder: Asking the right questions
• Invention: Generating ideas and solutions
• Discernment: Evaluating and refining options and clearly crossing the decision line
• Galvanizing: Rallying people around decisions
• Enablement: Providing support and resources 
• Tenacity: Pushing through to completion

Above or Below the Decision Line
One of the most powerful concepts was helping people understand whether they're "above the decision line" (in ideation mode) or "below the decision line" (in activation or implementation mode). This clarity helped everyone understand how to contribute their genius at the right time.

The SCARF Model for Emotional Intelligence
They also introduced the SCARF framework to help people understand their emotional responses to change:

Status • Certainty • Autonomy • Relatedness • Fairness

Keys to Success

The program succeeded because of several critical factors: leadership commitment, where leaders learned the content first and modeled the behaviors, integration with performance goals so participants are actively applying their learning to their 2025 goals, ongoing reinforcement through regular team meetings, and connection to business strategy rather than just being an HR initiative.

Real-World Application
Post-program, teams are using the language naturally: "I'm in my wonder wheel right now" or "Who holds the D on this decision?" The framework has become a common language that reduces friction and depersonalises conflict while accelerating problem-solving.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Working Genius Assessment by Patrick Lencioni
• Program Design Brief available to newsletter subscribers at clairelaughlin.com. Sign up here and submit your request for the brief to [email protected].

Ready to create your own change agility? Start by identifying whether you need more speed, more engagement, or a better framework for bringing both together.

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enhance your leadership impact, visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @Claire Laughlin Consulting.