How To Manage Your "Star Employee"?
How To Manage
Your "Star Employee"?
Managing your
featured artists should not sweat, should you? After all, deliver results and
exceed goals. But I do not think you can get away and leave it to stand out.
They need as much attention as everyone else. How do you manage someone who
hits outside the park? How do you avoid excited stars about your work? And what
risks do you see?
What the "experts" say?
Having an
extremely talented employee on your team is a boss's dream. But it can also be
a challenge, according to Linda Hill, a Harvard Business School professor and
co-author of being the boss: The 3 Imperatives to Become a Great Leader. You
should make sure that your star has enough on your plate to continue
participating fully, but not so much that it burns. And we must "provide
positive feedback" - but not so counterproductive to the growth and
development of the person. Group dynamics is another cause for concern when you
have an outstanding artist on your team says Mary Shapiro who teaches
organizational behavior at Simmons College and wrote the teams that lead HBR
Guide. "Real resentment can develop, because of the perception that the
boss is promoting the rock star," he said. Your guest artist has just
joined your team or they work for a while, here are some tips on how to manageit.
Think development:
One of the
most difficult things to manage a highly secure and competent employee should
be to ensure that he is challenged enough at work. The antidote to this problem
is "the classic development of talent," says Shapiro. First,
"ask your employee," Where are you going next, and what experiences
do I give to you to make sure you're there? "Next, look for opportunities
to help people learn new skills and refine the old ones. Colina recommends that
you help the employee is" exposure to other parts of the organization
"that" will extend their point of view. "And, of course,"
do not forget B players, "Hill added. Otherwise, they do not develop the
team's ability, and" over time, people become qualified. "Everyone on
your team deserves to be developed."
Autonomy offer:
Another way
to make sure your star employee remains committed and excited to come to work
is to "give you more autonomy," says Shapiro. "Demonstrating
confidence in delegation of authority and responsibility" in some projects
and tasks. And not micromanagement. "Give discretion to how the job is
done." If a formal offer is not possible, or your employee is not ready
for one, think creatively about ways to improve your leadership skills.
"Give their training responsibilities," he adds. "Ask your rock
star to work with others on the team to guide and develop."
Do not go "overboard with, positive feedback":
In general,
"stars tend to be very needy" and require more praise and security
than their average employee, Hill says. But you do not want to "be used to
feed an ego." It is recommended to give their stars "the appropriate
amount of comments" in "recognition of their contributions." If
your star has done very well and made a stellar presentation project say so.
But it is not necessary to go to the seashore. "It will help learn to
control yourself," she said, "and to recognize contributions from
other team members that will help her succeed." Shapiro agrees, noting
that some stars do not expect or want constant praise. "Do not assume youknow what motivates them."
Manage the workload of your star - and everyone else:
An important
part of your job as an owner is to ensure that the work is divided evenly. This
can be a challenge in managing someone who is way above all others. "You
want to give [all] rock star chores, because you know the rock star is going to
do the job," says Shapiro. But while "suits you", result of
overwork in exhaustion. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to
"do a careful analysis of what happens on your star plate" to
identify tasks and projects that can be removed "the ability to do other
projects." It is likely that your "rock star is going to be reluctant
to let go of something", but must stand firm. "Be explicit and say
you want to give more bandwidth so that power has intellectual, energy and time
to be at its best." And pay attention to the depletion of the equipment,
Hill said. "Superstars are known as Pacesetters," he said. "It
can be exciting and inspire others to work with them, but often others can not
follow." You should "make sure the workload is reasonable" for
everyone.
Be aware of group dynamics:
Superstars
can generate computer tensions. Maybe they expect a performance equal to their
relationship with others, or the companions are jealous of their abilities and
treat them differently from everyone. You can not control the emotions of
others, but you have to say in the way you act. First, and most importantly,
"not having favorites," Hill said. Then discuss with your team
members about group dynamics and individual behavior. Its aim is "to
ensure that [the star] is treated appropriately." Shapiro agrees: "It
is necessary to have individual conversations with each one to ask." What
motivates and how can I help? "
"Encourage" your star to build "relationships":
You should
also talk to your star. Many high-level artists are struggling to develop
relationships of trust, says Hill. "These are quick studies, so they do
not ask questions and do not try to build bridges - especially since they do
not have to." It is their job to encourage them to network and "help
develop their ability to relate to others and learn the power of
collaboration." Explain that "to contribute to today's organizations,
you have to work with others In different roles. "Then" be a partner
to help the person fit in. "Demonstrate" how your job benefits otherviews. "And use role-playing games that teach you how to work successfully
with your peers.
Do not be selfish:
Nobody wants
to lose a superstar employee, but when it comes to a very competent and capable
person, they can be a "sign that they are ready for more than they can
offer" in a special role, Shapiro said. Do not let it get lost to another
company, though. Keep in mind the priorities of the entire organization and if
there is a fit for it outside of your team. Be prepared to "fight the
battle on two fronts," says Shapiro. "Talk to your boss to find your
star in a position in the same way as it rises, while ensuring that it is
replaced" by someone who succeeds the role. This is a "management and
management current dilemma," Hill added. "But you can not accumulate
talent."
Principles to remember:
Do:
·
Praise and comfort, but also encourage
your star to recognize the contributions of others.
·
Demonstrate confidence in
delegating responsibility for certain projects and letting your star decide how
the work is done.
·
Make sure that the workload of
the equipment is reasonable. Superstars are Pacesetters and everyone can not
follow.
Don’t:
·
Represented overburden your
employees - otherwise you could burn it. Analyze what is happening on your
plate and identify projects that can be eliminated.
·
Neglect the rest of your team.
Find ways to develop each of your live reports.
·
Talent treasure. If the
employee is ready to move forward, you have to defend your promotion.
Case Study (1): Encourage your star to look for learning opportunities both inside and outside your organization:
Jon Stein,
CEO and founder of Improvement, the online financial advisor, said he was
"lucky to have a number of stars" in the team over the years.
Laura *, in
particular, stands out. He joined the New York-based company as an executive
assistant there for five years. He lacked experience, but "he showed great
promise and driving," Jon recalls.
During his
weekly meetings, Jon gave positive comments from Laura about the things he had
done well, "but he also made sure to mention areas where he could be
improved.
The two often
discuss different ways to take more time. It was not always easy to find
"new challenges for her," he said. "We are going to set the bar
higher and higher with extended goals, and it would soon become clear that it
could be delivered."
So Jon Laura
encouraged him to consider his long-term prospects, "paint several
possible routes" for her: one day he could manage the learning and
development of the company, or maybe she could run the group of facilities. He
then led to their experiences that would prepare each of the possible
functions. "I wanted to give Laura a chance to try new things," he
said.
Meanwhile,
Jon led networks Laura. He encouraged her to "build a strong group of
people with experience outside the company" to accelerate learning.
"Now, every time I have a question, it can be answered relatively
quickly." People come to her with questions as well, and she has done a
lot to direct and expand her network.
Laura giving
him greater responsibility for various business functions was
"gradual," Jon said.
Today, Laura
is a team of 15 employees and is responsible for facilities and human
resources, among other areas. "She did a great job," says Jon.
However, he
says he is always aware of not giving Laura a special treat. Individual weekly
meetings between managers and direct reports are common practices in the
company. And the regular return of employees is part of the Improvement
culture. "I do not play favorites," he said. "I do not want to
give your chances that others will not come."
Case Study (2): Find out what motivates your star, and "empower her to advance":
Jay
Schaufeld, senior vice president of human resources at OwnerIQ, a Boston-based
digital marketing firm, said managing the featured artists is a
"luxury", but it also includes "additional challenges."
"There is no reading book," he said.
Some years
ago, Jay heads the Human Resources department of an independent consulting
firm. There she oversaw Rose *, "an absolute rock star" who excelled
in her work. "She was a few years old at school, she had great aspirations
and it was great potential," Jay said. "I saw a lot of her in me and
I in him."
When Rose
started working for him, Jay has done his best to "publicly"
acknowledge achievements and include him in executive-level meetings. "I
assumed that Rose wanted a lot of fanfare and exposure to the management
team," he said.
It was only
until he was finally asked "What motivates you?" He realized the
error of his ways. "Rose told me that while she appreciates all the
tueient meetings," he said. "What I wanted instead was air coverage
to be more involved in business initiatives that moved the organization
forward."
Together we
considered possible projects for Rose. He then gave him the autonomy to
implement these plans.
Jay also
reported on Rose's career goals for the future. "Internal progress was
very important to her, so we set career goals and milestones in the
organization," he said. "We also talk in other ways."
One option
for Rose was to become a certified human resources professional. Certification
would allow you to work as a billable consultant instead of working in
corporate human resources.
"Selfish,
I wanted Rose to stay in our organization," Jay said. "But she also
recognized that achieving certification would open up new career opportunities,
and she wanted to show that we invested in her and that she was determined to
move on.
After a
Fortune 10 company has acquired its organization, Jay continued its activities.
Rose, now the certification is still there, working on integration. "I really
enjoy working with her again in the future"
