Managing High Performers

It can be tempting to handle high performers in a “fire & forget” mode — after all they are the ones you can count on to be self-sufficient and get things done. However, experienced managers learn that their high performers can require as much of their attention as low performers. Moreover, if you accept the premise that the role of a leader is to build leadership, then growing your high performers is a key responsibility.

But what exactly should we do for our high performers and how does that differ from how we engage with the middle of the pack folks? And, as a prerequisite, how do we know they are high performers?

Evaluating Performance

Much has been written on this topic and I’ve compiled some links for further reading. It is very important, as a manager, to be discriminating between your high, medium, and low performers and to update your impressions often. As you become more experienced this gets easier but even with experience it is helpful to have a mental framework upon which to base your opinion.

All about the level

Any concept of performance has to take into account the skill and seniority of your employee. Obviously, we expect different things from our new college grads versus engineers with decades of experience and accomplishments behind them. Once your team is beyond about 10 engineers, it is important to document your expectations at each level of engineering skills. Some call these “leveling guides“ or ”the rubric“. In my blog on Low Performers I have a section on this and some external help. It can seem like a big investment of time but it is well worth it. Once you have an artifact you can use it to be consistent and set clear expectations. For your high performers you’ll want to ask: are they demonstrating skills at the next level?

Potential versus Performance

It can also be helpful to differentiate between how you perceive your high performer’s current performance versus their potential to perform even better.

Even though your top folks will usually score high on both measures, coaching them to improve against their current tasks versus finding ways they can stretch and grow are subtly different things. With “current performance” you are looking for coachable moments — where could they get out of their own way for example or achieve their usual success without the stress or drama? With potential performance you are asking how they are investing in their own growth, books they are reading, conference talks or AMAs attended or listened to, etc. The overlap, especially for more senior folks, is how can they perform their job in a way that helps raise the game of those around them? Could they mentor a more junior person to handle a task or project? Even if this is slower in the short run, helping more junior folks gain skills will pay off with compound interest for team velocity.

Motivations

Understanding what motivates our people is always important. However, our high performers can appear to be so consistently driven that we can sometimes forget to drill in and understand what motivates them. When we think of motivation, it is useful to distinguish intrinsic motivations from extrinsic motivations. If you are not familiar, I highly recommend Dan Pink’s work, especially this short video.

With high performers, I tend to be sensitive to the potential for unhealthy motivators — things that cause them to drive themselves so hard they burn out. I also like to look for signs of a “the grass is always greener” mentality in high performers. Again, often tied to an unhealthy motivation, they may think the answer to their stress is external, that all will be better if they just get that new job. (Side note, when hiring, be on the look out for candidates who have never stayed anywhere longer than 1.5–2 years).

Healthy Motivations (aka, intrinsic)

• Purpose
• Autonomy
• Mastery

See Dan Pink’s video above for more info.

Potentially unhealthy motivators

• Recognition
• “Winning”
• Fear, anxiety, and “filling that psychic hole”

The first two can mask the third and they do come in healthy varieties. Some of us just want to be recognized for our accomplishments. If you study the Enneagram Personality styles Type 3 is the type mostly likely to be looking for recognition. They go off the rails when the search for recognition starts to outweigh their commitment to the business and the team. The drive to be recognized becomes their “purpose“. Signs of this include stealing credit from others, or, more commonly, taking on more than they can handle and not delegating. You’ll need to make them aware of this and try to steer them back to the team’s purpose and how they can leverage their own talents to improve team velocity and team success (and recognition!)

“Winning” is a motivator most often found in sales people. They tend to thrive on competition. In software engineering it can manifest in an unhealthy desire to “win” arguments, especially about technical design or product direction. This can be hard to coach because often it is a symptom of seeing their work output as tightly coupled to their own sense of identity. Their work is who they are, so if their design is rejected then they are being rejected. Taken to pathological extremes this can flip someone from a high to a low performer. They become representative of one of my favorite quotes: “I’d rather have a hole on my team than an @sshole.” Coaching this includes getting them to see that they can’t be successful all by themselves and to get a team moving in the same direction requires building a consensus. Also, teach them that the goal in a technical debate isn’t “their idea winning” but organizational learning. Insisting the team follow their lead will be less effective than helping the other folks learn. You may want to coach them to explain their position through asking questions: what assumptions and issues are they aware of that the other folks are missin? (aka a non-directive approach). Even though this takes time up front, if they can improve the overlap between their mental models and the models of their colleagues the whole team will work better and faster over time.

Some high performers are driven by fear. Fear of failure, fear they aren’t good enough, a need to constantly prove their own self-worth through high achievement. Often a symptom of an insecure attachment style or some other psychic wound, these types are most likely to burn out or suddenly leave for a new job in their never ending search to find “enough”. They’ll need reassurance and praise from you. If you can encourage them to lean into whatever their fear is and practice mindfulness they may be able to relax and avoid negative outcomes.

Common Problems

Lack of prioritization skills: often your high performers have found things come pretty easy and they haven’t needed to prioritize effectively till they reach higher levels of organizational responsibility. Some just love the ideation and brain storming phase and lose interest once the project gets close to the end. (See Enneagram Type 7). I have a mentor who jokes that you have to watch out for the bird dogs that want to chase squirrels. You need to keep a close eye and make sure they stay on task and really “finish” — make sure they understand that being an “80%-er” is going to be career limiting, despite their otherwise high performance.

Boredom & Idle Hands: High performers tend to hate to repeat themselves and being idle can, for many, actually be very stressful. They are far more apt to take a recruiter call when they perceive their job to be unchallenging. As their manager, you’ll want to be checking in and testing for this. You may need ask as they will not always tell you. I like to be direct: how are they enjoying the work these days? What would increase your job satisfaction by 10%? (studies show asking about a small, numeric improvement is more likely to elicit and useful response than “how can we make it ‘better’”.) Obviously, if they are feeling under-challenged you’ll want to address that and/or tell them to take a vacation!

Manager Responsibilities and a recap

It is important to understand the motivations of your high-performers, even though you might want to take this for granted. Make sure they receive recognition: this is where extrinsic motivators actually are helpful. I’ve found that bonuses and salary increases won’t motivate but are critical for retention. They are a concrete way to let a high-performer know the organization recognizes and appreciates their efforts. You’ll want to set high expectations and to challenge them. Lastly, be sure to find critical feedback. Do not give your high-performers a pass. We can all improve, and your best folks will lose respect if they are never criticized.