Keep hold of your high achievers

High achievers work hard and have big dreams. They demonstrate a burning desire and unrelenting drive to achieve their goals, and have the stamina to bring their career aspirations to fruition. If nurtured well, they can be a huge asset to any business. But they are notoriously difficult to keep hold of.

As a leader, it’s your responsibility to help motivate your high performing team members, define clear paths of development and help them to achieve their goals. Here’s how:

Be open and honest

Skirting around problems isn’t going to do anyone any favours, so be upfront at all times. Your high performers need to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses in order to improve, and you need to be aware of them also. Many are often perfectionists so you may need to provide guidance on how best to positively utilise this characteristic. Being critical is essential to iron out any kinks and arising issues, but make sure your feedback is constructive. Negativity is not the driving force behind success.

Show appreciation

You’re a role model – so if you’re impressed, say so. Let your high performers know what they’ve done well, why it was so great, and how they can apply those same skills to develop their weaker areas. When a person knows they’re doing a good job, they’ll be keen to keep up their good work.

Push boundaries

Don’t be afraid to push the boundaries. Nothing is unachievable once you’re in a positive frame of mind. So, it’s up to you to exude confidence and ambition. Encourage your high performers to look to the future, look right to the top of the ladder, and then try to go further.

Set challenges

Give your high performers something to work towards. Goals and challenges help focus the mind and achieving them can be immensely reassuring and affirming. Ensure the work you provide them with is varied and interesting, and stretches their skill set. The last thing you want is for them to get bored.

Open doors

If you’ve got influence, use it. Introduce your high performers to the right circles, mention important names, provide links to great companies and significant events. When managing a high achiever do everything you can to get them to the top; use whatever resources are at your disposal. This will pay dividends in the long run as when they excel, it will only reflect well on you and enhance your reputation.

Get personal

A concrete step-by-step plan doesn’t work for just anyone; you need to tailor your approach to personal development. For example, some people respond especially well to a harsh attitude, so you know you have a little leeway when it comes to putting your foot down. But whatever approach you take, always ensure you communicate your expectations clearly and concisely, so they know where they stand.

Believe

This is the most important aspect. If you don’t believe in the person you’re pushing, they simply aren’t going to get anywhere. Showing that you believe in them and their future will be the motivation that counts the most.

By helping others to achieve their potential you are not only fulfilling your responsibility as a leader but are also developing your own skill set for more senior leadership roles in the future. What are you currently doing to keep hold of your high achievers?

Author

Susie Timlin

Chief Operating Officer, UK Government Investments

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Susie is Chief Operating Officer (COO) at UK Government Investments (UKGI). UKGI’s purpose is to be the UK government’s centre of excellence in corporate finance and corporate governance, working across government on some of its most interesting and complex commercial tasks.

In her role as COO, Susie works to ensure that the business has effective operational management, optimal organisational design, and that UKGI are able to hire, develop, manage and remunerate their people in the best way possible.

Prior to joining UKGI, Susie was Global Director for People and Culture at Hays Talent Solutions.