In today’s knowledge economy, employees with unique skills profoundly impact organizations, and it’s crucial to keep them happy. Though many managers believe that compensation is the key, genuinely talented people aren’t highly motivated by money alone. Feeling special is far more vital to them, and Managers need to respect a few never-dos:
- Listen & never dismiss their ideas – Top performers are usually emotionally invested and pride in developing their skills and want to contribute to critical decisions and drive outcomes. So, start listening.
- Never block their development – Help your top performers grow and win their loyalty. Set high standards but don’t be shy in showering timely praise when it’s due
- Enable them to be successful – Managers need to show tough love by challenging and providing training as required. Don’t micromanage but provide clear visibility into the final goals.
- Not creating a high-growth work environment – An environment where employees don’t have stretch goals or lack meaning usually leads high performers to start looking out for challenging work.
- Not setting right goals or expectations – Managers need to do a fair job in bringing clarity to employees, enabling them to focus their time and energy on execution rather than getting stressed about figuring right priorities.
Trust your top talent, show them the NorthStar and let them execute, and they will help you achieve some of the most complex goals. Remember, the better you manage, the more productive, innovative, satisfied, and most importantly, happy & loyal your team will be.
