How do you manage high achievers in the workplace?

Top recommendations for senior leaders and CEOs to keep high achievers engaged and motivated (including themselves)

What makes high achiever employees different? This article explains what high achiever employees think and do at the workplace and how you, as a senior manager and CEO, can help them thrive as "the gems" they are for your organization. Being a high achiever myself and coaching many high achiever leaders, I know you will refer to them as "workaholic," "ambitious," "high-flyer," or "gifted." All this is part of who they are, but there's much more. Let's unpack it so you can engage them in thriving teams.

Contents:

1. Part 1: Understanding high achievers in the workplace
2. Part 2: How to build thriving teams with high achievers?
3. Part 3: How to manage high achievers in the workplace?

Part 1: Understanding high achievers in the workplace.

Why high achievers are gems to any organization.

High achievers are great contributors to the cutting edge of any organization. However, their personality is challenging for groups, colleagues and bosses. If you expect to manage them without clipping their wings, and thus wasting their talent, you need to understand their high achieving personality in detail.

High achievers people are great for a start.

High-achieving employees are those who:

1. Identify new opportunities
2. Set new goals
3. Invite others into forward motion

It comes naturally to high achievers to identify improvements and challenges and spot growth opportunities for themselves and the organization. They are inspirational, taking colleagues on board thanks to their vision and motivation.

High-energy people make good leaders, inviting others to pursue their growth.

In the face of changes and implementation, where employees need that positive attitude, you need a high-achiever manager or CEO. They will always see the opportunity and persuade others to understand:

• The long-term vision of the company
• The long-term vision of their impact
• The benefits for the business

What do high achievers think and do at work?

In their thinking, high achievers are quickly separating the trash from the wheat to:

• Get to the core of the challenge, risk, or opportunity they pursue
• Move quickly from ideation to execution
• Take high risks

In their implementation, ambitious people excel following structured steps. They first:

1. Identify the opportunity
2. Set the specific target - with figures, level, and timeframe
3. Inspire others to kick off by getting started themselves
4. Get people on board, explaining why they should do it and how their work will impact the organization

When do high achievers fail?

In the middle or the end of projects, they might need more awareness of what's happening around them.

That's because they're so focused on the quality of their work and delivery, that they forget to check with others on how they feel and update their motivation and drive.

Excellent at inspiring, less great at supporting.

They overlook that not every colleague shares their career ambitions or has the same drive:

• Can be insensitive to different motivations, timing, and needs
• Don´t take the time to explain, rest or celebrate
• They´re incredibly resilient and assume others will too

As managers, even though their start-up energy is excellent, they may fail their teams in the middle phase implementation of projects.

Better solo players, than team players.


Once they set their course of action, they go: Why are the others so slow? High achievers rely on themselves. If there's a bunch to be done, they will take over everything to themselves, even if it leads to overwhelm or burnout. The button line is they need help to trust others.

Celebration only at the end.

Because they're great at motivating themselves, they don't realize others need rest, praise, and celebration in all stages of implementation. Unbalanced high achievers can even skip this final appraisal for themselves and others, cross the line, and move to the next goal non-stop!

Part 2: How to build thriving teams with high achievers?

High achievers partner best with other high achievers.

High achievers differ from others in that they feel comfortable taking high risks and take little to no time to research and analyze. As soon as they see the opportunity, they go and get it. They understand each other well and can cooperate without feeling threatened.

The downside is they will likely end up caught in rushing in their decision-making, throwing their energy all over the place, or stuck in perfectionism.

How can they compensate?

The alliance between high achievers and other personality types.

High achievers and nitty-gritty analyzers at work.

That's why in teams, high achievers perform better in partnership with a nitty-gritty analyzer, ensuring no crucial data is missing in the strategy and implementation of new projects.

Nitty gritty people are a great asset to a high-achieving team, providing:

1. Excellent level of detail, lowering mistakes in the course of a project
2. Valuable microdata for informed decision making

Another great addition to a high-achieving team is a person capable of focusing. Because high achievers see so many opportunities in different fields and spread their energy all over the place, they must be reminded that 20% of the action brings 80% of the result.

However, team members with high emotional intelligence or excellent analytical skills will be a high achiever´s perfect ally.

The match between high achievers and harmonizers in teams.

People with high emotional intelligence can function as harmonizers in groups. They can tap into the needs of high achievers and other team members. With their personality, harmonizers can turn a bunch of brilliant individuals into a thriving and cohesive team. Harmonizers can “glue” a team and:

1. Support high achievers
2. Stand for the achievement of others and their personality
3. Change the course of action, tempo, and speed of a project on an on-need basis
4. Invest in relationship-building within the team
5. Regulate work/rest balance in the group.

A strong communicator is also crucial for high achievers.

High achievers need someone who communicates assertively and to the point about what must be done or changed in the course of action. That works best when the communicator understands the goal they´re striving to achieve, values the role of the high achiever in the project, and empowers the team to function as a cohesive team to support high achievers on that.

Part 3: How to manage high achievers in the workplace?

Handling expectations well will clear the way for high achievers.

Problems circle one pain: expectations. As senior manager and CEO, you need to be aware of expectations - your own, colleagues and high achievers themselves - and:

1. Assess high achievers fairly. Others consider them too arrogant, ambitious, superficial, or salesy. This perception can be excruciating as they feel misunderstood.
2. Have realistic expectations towards them. Other colleagues need to understand their unparalleled kick-off energy in the initial phase won't be supported throughout all stages, and that's fine.
3. Support them as solo players within the team. You can trust them. They're empathetic, just not good at giving continuous support or resolving conflict at a glance. Identify who can do that within the group.
4. Stop them from isolating. They easily rely solely on themselves, not recognizing their weakness, because they fear coming across as impostors or poor performers.

Else they will suffer, and so will you.

How to manage high achievers successfully (if you are one yourself).

You'll find managing other high achievers easy if you're a high achiever. Like you, they see many opportunities and are quick in their decisions and actions. You're both strivers, enterprising, and dynamic.

Teaming with other high achievers is your bliss and your trap.

Here are some key points that as a high achiever manager you should help other high achievers do:

1. Understanding details is vital to get the complete picture
2. Investigating the situation in full
3. Being practically minded in a particular moment
4. "Switch ON" their empathy
5. Investing time in understanding people's needs and goals
6. Encouraging pauses and periods of rest
7. Being attentive to burn-out signals (on themselves and others)
8. Celebrating their successes and those of their team

Your challenge will be delegating and engaging with very structured colleagues.

As a high achiever manager, you need thoughtful, logical, factual, and evaluated persons different from your kind because they´re relevant for the success of a task, strategy, or project. Listen to them carefully and take them on board. Trust them to delegate more.

People who are very attentive and people-oriented will also get on your nerves. You will likely think of them as too empathetic, considerate, or pondered, but you´ll do better when you team with them.

In time, you´ll discover that a combination of personalities in your team will prevent you from rushing into blind spots, wrong conclusions, or rocky courses of action.

How to manage high achievers if you´re a high-engager yourself?

There's no such thing as "non-high achievers." What exists are people who are more focused on tasks, who thrive in the field of execution, and we usually call them high achievers. And on the other hand, we have people who thrive in relationships and the empowerment of others. These are the best natural leaders.

Teaming with high achievers may feel threatening to others.

If you're a high-engaging manager, help high achievers realize that how they see themselves may differ from how others perceive them.

You can support your team's high achievers by understanding how they function best and providing the right conditions. High achievers need managers who:

• Give clear and empathic orientation
• Set them back on the path of priority
• Offer a collaborative environment
• Empower them to build relationships

Real-life examples of leadership and team cooperation working with high achievers.

1. Set team goals: Rather than focusing solely on individual goals, set team goals that everyone can work towards together. High achievers will feel part of a team effort and not solely responsible for the outcome.
2. Be assertive in your communication: Don´t let high achievers second guess you. State your priorities and process sharply to help them focus and finish one task at a time.
3. Set clear standards: High achievers set high standards for themselves. Let them know beforehand when “enough is enough,” praise them, and stop them from digging into one thing so they can move to the next one.
4. Grant operational freedom: High achievers work best when they make independent decisions and participate simultaneously.
5. Recognize individual contributions: While working towards team goals, make sure to recognize and appreciate the individual contributions of each team member. High achievers will feel valued and appreciated for their unique skills and expertise.
6. Foster open communication: Encourage open and honest communication within the team, including feedback and ideas from all team members. High achievers can sometimes dominate conversations and ideas, so ensuring everyone has an equal voice is essential.
7. Provide growth opportunities: High achievers often crave growth and development opportunities. Provide opportunities for them to take on new challenges and responsibilities and recognize their progress and achievements.
8. Encourage collaboration: High achievers can sometimes be competitive, so it's important to encourage collaboration and teamwork. Assign team projects or pair high achievers with colleagues with complementary skills and strengths.
9. Create a positive work environment: Finally, create a positive work environment that supports all team members. This can include providing resources for well-being, encouraging work-life balance, and promoting a culture of respect and inclusivity.

Managing the career path of high achievers: advice to senior managers and CEOs.

If you're managing the career development of high-achiever employees and having a development discussion with them, these recommendations will bring satisfaction to both of you:

1. Feedback: It's essential to get quickly to the core of your input and be very specific. High achievers will appreciate you for that.
2. Career path: Challenge them with thought-provoking questions. This way, you can open their mind to new possibilities and force them to create a development plan that is triggering for them. Use open-ended questions, and ensure they understand they have their career plan in their hands and that you're there to support them. That's the best approach.
3. Expectations: Don't raise expectations if you can't fulfill them. That giant trap will lead a high achiever to leave your organization. Empty promises immediately destroy their motivation.
4. Retention: If you want them to stay, challenge them and recognize achievements. They must feel they add value to the company and that you recognize their successes. Otherwise, they will find it boring and say they don't see any opportunity for them to grow or develop.

The secret sauce: offer high achievers trust.

High achievers need managers they can trust. Confidence is not something that comes naturally to them.

Their trust parallels your emotional intelligence, management, and communication skills. Average won't do for them: they need you to excel in your humanity so you can grant them the freedom, direction, and recognition they need without clipping their wings.

In return, you'll get all their talent, high energy, and forward vision to keep your organization on the cutting edge of the industry and balance results.

You've got everyone's back, and I´ve got yours.

Achieving success in team performance goes beyond your technical expertise. Let me challenge you to gain profound emotional intelligence and exceptional communication skills so you can retain high achiever gems close to you.

You can book a breakthrough call here.

To your success,

Simona

---

I'm the founder of BOC Institute, one of the renowned consulting and executive search agencies for international companies operating in Slovenia and South-East Europe.

I coach CEOs and top managers 1:1 worldwide. I'm here to save you time, energy, and money through your objectives, decision-making, and leadership development. I understand we can change the world one coaching session at a time!

Do you feel like having a call? You can reach out here and let me guide you from there.

Simona Špilak www.simonaspilak.com