Stop holding your high performers back and get more results
What in the heck do I do with a high performer?
I don’t have time to help develop them...
I don’t know how to help my high performers
I can’t add another thing to my schedule it’s already full and I’m overwhelmed
High performers can be challenging for a manager because they are constantly looking for growth. They simply are never quite satisfied with the status quo and are continuously seeking improvement in every aspect of their profession. This was me as an employee. And I can easily see how this can exhaust an already overburdened manager.
“I have so many employees. I’m already overwhelmed with the day-to-day work of managing my team. How can I possibly take extra time to develop my high performers?”
I get it! I often felt this way as a director. And it was so frustrating because developing high performers is where I thrived. I wanted to help my employees define their aspirations and transform their lives, not just survive until the next weekend.
I was talking to a former manager of mine who also happened to be my sponsor at that company and I told him “I must have been a challenging person to manage”. I always wanted more...more training, more responsibility, more development for the next role, more coaching, more mentoring, etc.
What I realize now is that what I needed was a coach. I went to countless workshops and seminars and training courses; and then went back to work and forgot most of what I learned within a few weeks. I am incredibly thankful to have been afforded those opportunities, but I see now how the return on investment for my employer was not nearly as high as it could have been.
I recently left my role as a director to get back to the place where I thrive. I now specialize in creating individualized plans based upon my clients’ goals and obstacles, and then meet weekly to coach on the blind spots, give support, and provide accountability.
You don’t have to develop your employees on your own. When I was a manager and then a director, I wish someone would have recommended a coach for my high performers. I could have given them what they were looking for and delegated something that was not where I added the most value for the companies.
