How To Manage High Performers

[@evolvep2747]

Im a high Performer. I ve been with the company 7 month and since day one I accomplished my monthly sales quotas within a weeks time. I can’t help it but it’s easy for me. This was a good video. My manager gave me complete autonomy. I have all the freedom I can ask for. They require me to do 30 medical sales orders a month. This this week already have 40.

[@DavidBurkus]

Glad it was helpful! Sounds like a sweet gig.

[@kq1777]

Good video. A couple of points: 1. Productivity doesnt just mean quantity, its also quality and innovation. The last area is where high performers really differentiate from the crowd. 2. The x amount of productivity gains delivered by high performers is dependant on external factors , including the complexity of the work. If the task isnt complex and large, then the productivity gains are still larger but not as large. This exponentially increases as the task/project etc gets more complex and thats where the 400x and numbers that differentiate really become evident. I would suggest put your high performers on the most pressing, important, mission critical tasks- thats how to get the highest value from them...and i think you will find that high performers themselves want to be assigned to such tasks/projects.

[@DavidBurkus]

Thanks!

[@darrellharmon6130]

More great practical advice, David. If only one of my former (heck, ALL of my former) leaders had listened to you! We both would have benefited and been saved from strained relationships. Here's a question: How do you help a manager of HPs not feel threatened by their direct reports' skills and success? Even more, how can managers feel comfortable with the initiative HPs take to decide their work projects? In other words, if I manage HPs how do I balance my control and their autonomy?

[@DavidBurkus]

Great question. It might be the subject of a future video. In general, giving autonomy means also communicating the limits of that autonomy. Whether that's an amount of money spent, time invested, or some other limitation. So I would start there. Make sure HPs know they have freedom but also that "beyond this point...call me."

[@darrellharmon6130]

@@DavidBurkus and what about the first part of the question--a manager who feels threatened by an HP's expertise?

[@DavidBurkus]

To be honest, I'm still mulling over that one. I know it happens...but for the life of me I can't figure out why someone would feel threatened by another's success. It may take me a few days of thinking to reach empathy for that perspective and get you an answer.

[@darrellharmon6130]

@@DavidBurkus my suspicion (based on experience) is that it's related to the control/autonomy question. When some leaders have stars on their team, they feel a threat to their power. "If my hot-shots know more than I do, how will I lead them?" This is a leader more concerned with a command-and-control approach than a collaborative or coaching approach. Like you, for the life of me, I don't know why someone would think that way, but I've seen it. It's so much easier and productive to collaborate with a high performer and gently guide their work and progress. It's like riding a horse--you can't overpower them, but you can guide them.

[@DavidBurkus]

@@darrellharmon6130 Yeah. You're probably right. I've only had that experience once, earlier in my career when I was still a professor. And then...I think it was more political. My Dean worried because my success gave me a direct line to her boss and she was worried what I was going to say.

[@Big_Rypsy]

This is great! I’ve been struggling on how to grow my teams performance as well as how to manage the production of our associates that doesn’t result to do this or else. Very good stuff.

[@DavidBurkus]

Thanks so much!

[@jasantana]

I'm a high performer on my team with an almost 200% increase over my teams' ticket volume, plus I handle IT onboarding, North America knowledgebase, and team lead... it doesn't seem management recognize a higher performer right in front of them, I requested a promotion that reflects my current strengths, contributions made and even created a job title for the company and I keep getting the same story "all these hurdles with HR, etc." I held the same title for the past five year, its hurting my career development and I believe I can be more valued to another company who can recognize my strengths, values, and autonomy to produce quality work.

[@DavidBurkus]

Bummer. I would suspect that it's probably time to move on to a different organization then. If the issues are really "hurdles with HR" then your direct manager will understand. Or he/she won't and you'll get a glimpse of their true colors.

[@jasantana]

@@DavidBurkus thank you, it's an uncomfortable feeling to make that leap of faith but I have planning an exit strategy with backup plans if by end of year nothing changes I move on. I never understand why management/HR don't have the proactive foresight to retain talent rather than wait at the last minute to find out that individual has either accepted another job offer or leave into their own business to then offer the promotion and pay they have been seeking. It's a terrible play on their end. I know some people who left and the company tried to counter-offer but the individual denied and move onto other companies in part to maintain their dignity but also staying means it puts them at flight-risk and statistically most of those people who accepted the counter offer don't stick around after 6 to 12 months. Any idea why some companies don't take the proactive approach and use the counter-offer to give the employee what they have been seeking?

[@DavidBurkus]

Some companies know people are their greatest competitive advantage. Others just think they need butts in seats. And it’s hard to really know which is which when you’re across the interview desk (unless they let you talk to a cross-section of employees).

[@SnowLeopardForever]

YES!!!!! That is so true! Leaders don’t recognize when they have high performers. I am living that right now as a high performer myself. I asked for more challenging tasks with the opportunity of promotion/growth, and all I got was more of the same kind of work, and a “maybe in a few months” or “in a year” - I have worked for them more than five years! - about the challenging tasks and growth. So I am planning to leave in a year. I asked (more than once) and they didn’t hear me. So it’s time to go.

[@TimothyHughes]

Great video David, lots of great advice in here.

[@DavidBurkus]

Thanks so much!

[@guiller2371]

I would love to be managed like that. He is awesome.

[@guiller2371]

"Give expectations clearly"; I like this rather than the nonsense of "hire smart people and don't tell them what to do ", which is the dumbest thing I have ever heard at work.

[@DavidBurkus]

The reality is smart people actually want to be known what the expectations are. They may not want to be told HOW to do what is expected of them. But they definitely want to know the expectations so they can try to exceed them.

[@jaaguitar]

Hero anti-pattern and the bad parts of high performers also needs covering. Often there will be other team members wanting to do a task, but the Hero wants to do everything themselves. "High performers" can also be control freaks which the manager might not see.

[@DavidBurkus]

The dark side of high performers...good idea!