Do you take your high-performing people for granted?

Let’s be honest — we all depend on our top performers to do the heavy lifting necessary to ensure our teams’ and companies’ success. They are always there for you when you need someone to take on the tough projects, or when something absolutely must get done immediately. They may not be the easiest members of your team to manage, but the value they provide is priceless, as they always deliver for you. They are driven, dependable and always willing to add another item to their long list of to-dos, and you can always count on them. In fact, studies reveal that top performers in a wide array of industries are up to 400% more productive than the average employees.

But in some cases, high-performing employees are miserable, prone to burnout and disengaged.

Too often, leaders lean too heavily on their top performers, expecting them to come through time and time again. The reality is that your high-performing people are human beings with dreams, goals, wants and needs just like anyone else. They may be wired differently from others, but they seek the same satisfaction out of their personal and professional lives. Unfortunately, leaders sometimes fail to see the impact that such hard work and dedication has on their best people.

Leading effectively means making sure every member of your team is engaged, energized and enthusiastic. It’s easy to assume that your top performers are highly engaged and always “on.” That line of thinking is sadly mistaken. As it turns out, high-performing people are not always the most engaged. Researchers have foundthat low performers are more engaged than their high-performing counterparts in 42% of organizations.

Your high-performing people provide tremendous value to your organization, and it’s largely your responsibility to ensure their satisfaction. If you don’t, you risk losing them to burnout, fatigue or most troubling the competition.

So, how can you make sure your best performers are happy?‍

What Makes High-Performing People Special?

First, I’d like to break down the qualities that separate high-performers from their peers in the workplace.

Always Learning, Always Growing
High-performing people epitomize the growth mindset. They are flexible in their thinking, willing to learn from mistakes and always ready to sharpen their skills. They generate new solutions readily and are rarely satisfied with the status quo.

Positive Mental Attitude
High performers believe in themselves and their ability to find solutions. They see possibilities where others see dead ends, and they approach challenges with openness and positivity. They are accustomed to making good things happen, and they rarely dwell on mistakes.

A Willingness to Sacrifice
Your high-performing people are the ones who stay late to get the job done — and don’t make a big deal out of it. They seem to always have their finger on the pulse of the organization, even on weekends and holidays. And they are willing to put the organization’s needs ahead of their own again and again.

Professional Accomplishers
Mostly, high-performing people are laser-focused on achievement. They have led lives of accomplishment, and they know no other way to approach their work. Where others dread adding items to task lists, high-performing people relish the opportunity to get stuff done.

These are all wonderful qualities, of course, but they are also qualities that can lead to burnout, fatigue, resentment and severe disengagement.

Leaders can easily become so accustomed to the productivity provided by high performers that they fail to realize the impact that over-delivering has on the individual’s general well-being and quality of life. Working so hard with so much dedication, sacrifice and growth takes energy that must be replenished, and the efforts made by high performers are so consistent that leaders sometimes take their best people for granted. This is what creates the burnout and disengagement that can be poisonous for teams and organizations.‍

What Leaders Do Wrong with their Top Performers

As a leader, you need to be aware of your behaviors and tendencies that might cause you to rely too heavily on your high-performing people:

• Assuming High Performers Will Compensate for Others — Your best people have enough on their plates, so assuming that they will pick up the slack of lower-performing employees is unfair. It’s a big mistake to presume that your top-performing people have the capacity or engagement levels to mentor, coach, support and compensate for others.
• Always Putting the Best People on the Toughest Jobs — Naturally, you want to ensure that the most difficult tasks are handled by those most capable of performing them. However, you should challenge your instinct to always match your top performers with the most demanding jobs. When your best people are constantly faced with the hardest work, they never get a chance to regroup, recharge and recommit themselves to the organization’s mission.
• Disrespecting Boundaries — When you recognize that a high-performing employee has a knack for getting things done, you may be tempted to assign work to them that is unrelated to their job description. Yes, it’s reasonable to expect people to pitch in from time to time on projects that fall outside the normal range of expectations. But you have to be careful about overstepping boundaries. Sure, your top performers can get things done, even when it’s not their specialty. But all the little side tasks and projects add up and can bring high-performing people to their breaking points.
• Ignoring High Performers’ Humanity — Your top performers may seem superhuman, but they are ultimately just people like you and me. They have lives outside of work in addition to a wide range of personal and professional goals. They may seem sunny, optimistic and ever willing to do what is asked of them, but they have bad days just like the rest of us, and they need leadership that inspires, motivates and communicates effectively. If you fail to treat your top performers with compassion and humanity, it’s only a matter of time before they become burned out or potentially disengaged.

5 Tips for Leading Your Top Performers More Effectively

I’ve covered what not to do when leading high-performing people. Now it’s time for some tips that will help you make sure your best people remain engaged and productive.

#1 — Be Flexible
One of the most challenging aspects of leading high-performing people is allowing them the freedom to determine how they get their work done. My advice — get out of their way and allow them the flexibility to determine the methods and manner that works best for them. Obviously, this should be done within reason and in a way that doesn’t alienate other employees. But a little extra leeway in this area can prevent disengagement and fatigue.

#2 — Give Them a Break
Your top performers may not necessarily take adequate time to rest and decompress on their own. So, it’s up to you to pay attention to how they are feeling, and to use your power to release the pressure from time to time. If you notice that someone has been putting forth a huge effort, don’t pile it on; instead, give them a chance to rest and refresh.

#3 — Establish a Feedback Loop
Effective communication is a cornerstone of any successful endeavor, but it’s especially important when you’re dealing with high-performing individuals on your team. Check in with them regularly. Ask them questions about what they need and how they could be better served by the resources you’re giving them. Give constructive feedback and be sure to verbalize your appreciation for their efforts. And don’t forget the most important part: listen to your people and follow through on your promises.

#4 — Set Clear Expectations
A lack of clear expectations leads to disengagement and burnout, particularly with your high performers. When they don’t know how high the bar is set, they shoot for the moon with every single task. It’s okay to let your top performers know that you do expect a lot from them, but help them set reasonable expectations. Within the discussion, you should also establish priorities that will help your star employees focus on the areas where their efforts are needed most.

#5 — Provide Room to Grow
High-performing people suffer greatly in a stagnant work environment where there’s no room to grow. Because they are equipped with the growth mindset, they need to be challenged and provided with opportunities for growth and advancement. Nurture their need to learn and encourage them to seek out organizational opportunities that allow them to expand their professional possibilities.‍

How Are You Treating Your High-Performing People?

Managing your top performers can be tricky, but doing it well is essential if you want to keep them operating at a high level.

What are you doing to keep your high-performing people happy? Have you used any of the tips I’ve outlined above? Are you guilty of any of the leadership mistakes I described?

I’d love to hear your take on this subject, so please leave a comment below or email me with your thoughts at joanne.trotta@leadersedgeinc.ca.

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