High performers. Key Employees. High Potentials. Those who carry their own weight with ease, and generally go far beyond the basic requirements of their position, role, or responsibilities.
Here are some quick tips on how you can keep top performers satisfied:
1. Recognize them. High performers know who they are, and they really do know that they contribute substantially more than most others. They may not broadcast it, or promote themselves incessantly like some of your mediocre performers do, but they are very self-aware, and recognize their abilities and subsequent impact.
2. Deal with those lesser beings. Now, in all fairness, most of your employees fit the "lesser" category when compared to these hard-chargers (speaking solely on performance), so no, I don't mean "whack everyone else." Though truthfully... no, never mind, scratch that...
3. Don't beat them to death. The high performers I mean. The substandard folks, go ahead. We have this terrible habit in organizations today – the reward for really good, hard work is.. more work. Why doesn't that sound like found money to me? Those who do less... we ultimately seem to require less.
Thanks for being here with me today, and be brazen; remember that grace and accountability can coexist.