Challenges to managing high potentials

- When employees get labeled as high potentials, they may have mixed emotions. It's a combination of oh wow, what an honor. I'm thrilled that the company recognizes my value. Blended with oh no, what if I can't live up to the hype? I'm in the spotlight now, and I cannot afford to mess up. It's equal parts of flattered and fear. And if they don't really understand what the designation means for their careers, they may experience frustration as well. Having that jumble of emotions is a normal reaction, but how you handle that as a manager is the key to getting the most from these valuable professionals. Companies today invest serious amounts of time and money to groom these up and coming leaders, so it's essential that you understand the mindsets and challenges that may bring to the table. Here are three of the most common challenges you may encounter when managing high potentials. First, they believe their value is tied to their expertise. This is the biggest struggle I hear about when coaching high potentials. They're used to being the subject matter experts. The go-to resources for their areas. Once they are identified as high potentials, they can quickly be thrown into new territory via rotations or new job assignments where they won't necessarily make that immediate impact. And that can sometimes rattle them. If you're managing high potentials, you want to see how they respond. Do they handle the uncertainty with patience, resilience, and grace? Can they accept, at least temporarily, that it's okay to not know all the answers? For some high potentials, this is a major stumbling block. You may need to remind them that the biggest value they offer isn't what they know, but how fast they can learn and apply something they don't know. Second, high potentials are often driven to perform above all else. Strong performance is what's gotten them noticed in the past. It's what sets them apart. In their minds, failure isn't acceptable, so they will do whatever it takes to reach a goal. The problem is, they become so focused on getting results that they might neglect everything else in the process. In their efforts to prove themselves, they may be sending the wrong message to their peers and coworkers, becoming so consumed with meeting goals that they inadvertently forget to recognize the contributions of others, or even to cultivate and share information. Their hyper focus might look completely self-serving. Like a power play, a move to get ahead versus a desire to be a team player. You may want to caution these go getters that they are role models for others. That humility and the desire to help others succeed are just as important as their personal drive to accel. A high potentials health can be another area that gets neglected in a quest to exceed expectations. They might begin working unusually long hours, repeatedly skipping meals or exercise. Sacrificing their own well-being will be detrimental to their productivity and performance in the long run. Those who manage high potentials need to recognize this challenge. Gently remind them to pace themselves and think about their contribution on a larger scale. They can't work at an optimal level if they're perpetually burned out and run down. Third, high potentials crave new experiences. They're often eager and ready to tackle the next big thing. Because of their capacity to quickly absorb information, they don't do well with repetitive reminders or extended training. And without something new to capture their attention, they may get bored. If you manage high potentials, you'll have to be ready to perform that sometimes tricky balancing act. You want to keep them challenged and satisfy their craving for new experiences. But you want to do that without making them feel overwhelmed. These common challenges found among high potentials are rarely deal breakers, but they need to be addressed. Knowing about them gives you a powerful head start on handling them, and managing them more successfully.