Challenges to managing high performers

- High performers represent an enormous asset to your team but managing them isn't always as easy as some might think. Here are four of the most common challenges you may encounter when managing your high performers. First, they tend to get impatient. High performers learn quickly and they grasp difficult concepts faster than the average employee. That means they may not need extended training or frequent reminders. The truth is they're often eager and ready to tackle the next big thing. Without something new to capture their attention, they may get impatient or even bored. If you manage high performers, you'll have to be prepared for a sometimes tricky balancing act. Want to keep them challenged without pushing them so far they feel overwhelmed. Second, high performers are often perfectionists. Strong performance is what sets them apart. In their minds, failure is unacceptable so they will do whatever it takes to reach a goal. Problem is they may end up putting too much pressure on themselves. If they're struggling to get the results, they might begin neglecting their own health. Working unusually long hours, repeatedly skipping meals or exercise, sacrificing their own well-being might enable them to meet short term deadlines, but it will be detrimental to their productivity and performance in the long run. Those who manage high performers need to recognize this challenge. Gently remind them to pace themselves and think about their contributions on a larger scale. They cannot work at an optimal level if they're perpetually burned out or run down. And despite all of their efforts, if they do fail, high performers can be really hard on themselves. Sometimes they lack the perspective to realize that no one wins everything every time. World-class overachievers can beat themselves up in grand fashion. Managers play a crucial role in helping them realize that failure isn't the end of the world. The third challenge, they may tend to be overly independent. High performers have likely succeeded in the past by being self-motivated and self-sufficient. That's how they consistently outperform their peers which means they may view those colleagues as competitors. If that attitude goes unchecked, it could create tension and breed jealously among team members. High performers may not be skilled at reading those underlying currents. If they want to be successful longterm, they will need to recognize the importance of developing connections and working more collaboratively. Finally, high performers may think that results outweigh protocol. Right or wrong, they may have used their off-the-charts production as an excuse to, well, occasionally bend the rules. Maybe they fail to turn in expense reports on time or regularly skip team-building activities. Whatever it might be, their managers may have been inclined to overlook some of those violations. As long as they kept turning in record-breaking achievements and blowing passed the established quotas, in some ways, that's understandable but it doesn't help them to be perceived as team players. High performers need to understand and respect corporate standards and values. By embracing protocol, they can send the message that they don't see themselves as exempt or privileged. These common challenges found among high performers are rarely deal breakers, but they need to be addressed. Knowing about them gives you a powerful headstart on handling them and managing your top talent more successfully.