Pop quiz: as a manager, do you spend more time with your best producers or your worst performers? If you said your best producers, I challenge you to really think about it. Most leaders find that it is actually the problematic team members who consume most of their management energy while their top performers go about their day with little to no supervision.
It is this lack of attention that can ultimately cause these employees to leave or suffer a decline in performance. If these upper-echelon producers are important to you, it would be wise to schedule some face time with each on a regular basis. Here are some quick tips on how to keep your best at their best.
Eliminate Headaches
As managers, our job is to clear the runway so that our people can take flight. Too often, overachievers are held back by outdated processes, red tape or requirements that need to be re-evaluated. You may have to ask them where they are being held back. Proactive people tend to charge ahead rather than complain, but when they see you remove roadblocks for them, they are inspired to take things to the next level.
Release the Dead Weight
Nothing is more demotivating than playing on a team where others seem disinterested in winning. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your superstars is surround them with more winners—or at least bench the losers. When you keep struggling people in the game, you send a signal to your employees that you aren’t serious about winning.
Understand What Motivates Them
It is a knee-jerk reaction to want to shower our rainmakers with promotions and raises each year, but many times people leave shortly after they receive a promotion. Why is that?
For many people, money is no longer their key motivating element. They may just as likely be motivated with more time to spend with their families, flexibility in work environment or added responsibilities and challenges. The best way to find out is to ask, and to really listen. You may find that you have never considered offering what they have requested. Employing a little creativity will make a positive impact on their loyalty to you and the company.
Help Them See the Future
No one wants to feel like just a cog in a machine. The whirlwind of our daily responsibilities often causes us to neglect sharing next steps and our future vision with employees. By sharing a positive and collective vision for the future of their role, the department or the company in general, you are psychologically building a bond that may keep them around for many years. Talk often about the future in a positive way and you might just find that your vision comes true for all involved.
Ditch the Annual Review
No one likes the annual review, yet it has become a dogmatic expectation in organizations of all sizes, shapes and industries. The problem with the annual review is that it occurs only once a year. It is impossible to accurately assess performance over 365 days in a one- or two-hour meeting. What we actually end up doing is assessing our team members based on the last month of our interaction, so why not set up monthly checkpoints? Many organizations have already switched to more casual one-on-one meetings on a monthly basis. This may be your best tool in avoiding an unexpected departure by one your top performers.
Ask Them to Teach Others
Do you wish more people knew how to close like Tom? Or do you dream of a workforce of people who can elicit referrals like Michelle? Ask them to teach everyone how they do it! Hold a lunch-and-learn for your team every now and then and ask someone on the team to share his or her best secrets with everyone else. You will find that people love to be recognized as experts at something—no matter how specific or small it may seem. This is a double win because the teacher feels respected and the team gets expert insight into how to improve their own performance.
As an employer, you want to be consistent with these actions. If your employees find your feedback helpful, you should give it frequently. This will allow them to reach their goals and perform well at work—which is our ultimate measure of success as leaders. Your employees’ goals may be constantly changing, so checking in with them, providing feedback and seeing what they want to achieve in their career (and life) is a good way to keep up with their aspirations.
Whatever you do, make sure you invest enough time in your best people.
