I spent years around athletes; some of the ones that drove me nuts were the talented but lazy athletes. I did have the opportunity to work with talented producers who were not lazy as well. Recently I came across an article in Harvard Business Review about managing people. This article challenged my thinking on how to treat highly talented producers on a team or in an organization.
I thought these were good points and wanted to share them with you. To give credit where it is due these ideas were adapted from a book called A New Way to Think by Roger Martin and came to my attention through this HBR article.
Listen to Their Ideas
These talented individuals on your team get results at a high level. If they are not talented but lazy individuals, they are vested in their improvement for the sake of the organization. The authors mention Aaron Rodgers and the tension he has had with the leadership at Green Bay. At the time of the article, we did not know the results.
Rodgers wanted to be listened to and have his ideas considered, especially when signing players that would impact his performance. For example, letting go of high-performing receivers and not building a receiver core around him made him feel unheard.
Talented team members have gotten results for a reason. They bring value and wisdom that upper-level leaders may not even be aware of. Take the time not just to hear, but listen and think about their ideas. If they are invested in the mission of the organization, their ideas will probably be valuable and it will show you appreciate them.
Help them Continually Grow
Talented hard workers have a hunger to grow. We can either accelerate or stunt that growth as the leader. Create opportunities to help them get out of their comfort zone and experience success at higher levels. This may require fighting systems inside the organization that may prevent someone who is talented from getting opportunities because “that is how we’ve always done it.”
As the leader of a talented individual who is hungry to grow, clear the path for the individual. Helping them grow will help you grow and the entire organization.
Praise Them
I have to be very intentional on this one because I can tend to think: “If you are doing your job why do I want to praise you? This is what you are supposed to do.” Maybe you have the misfortune of default thinking like mine. The authors say this about praising high performers:
“They have to regularly flirt with – and actually experience-failure. For that reason they need recognition. Otherwise, they become resentful or sad and drift away from the organization.”1
If these are hard-working, talented producers, praising them only adds more fuel to their fire. They feel appreciated and valued and want to continue contributing significantly. Regardless of talent, taking the time to praise team members genuinely will multiply commitment.
A Caveat
Regardless of the talent level and work ethic. All individuals should be held to the same basic standards of conduct. Leaders treat people as individuals but hold all to the same standards. This equality of standards creates a healthy culture. By treating people as individuals everyone feels seen and valued.
Think of a high performer on your team. Which of these areas do you need to improve as a leader? Need help thinking into it? Contact me for a no-cost to you coaching session. Lead Well!
© 2023 Wheeler Coaching Systems, All Rights Reserved
- Martin, Roger. “The Real Secret to Retaining Talent.” Harvard Business Review, March-April 2022.