“You gotta be kiddin’ me.”
It wasn’t even a question, just a statement of absolute disbelief as I watched the assistant division commander pin a medal on the major while an aide-de-camp read the award orders. The major stood there beaming, wearing an expression that bordered between pride and satisfaction. Most of us watching wore different expressions that ranged from utter confusion to mild annoyance. The same major who had been investigated for mishandling classified information. The same major who had botched a brigade’s deployment to Afghanistan. The same major whose incompetence was the stuff of legend around the division.
After the ceremony, I sidled up to the boss and asked the question on everyone’s mind: “What the actual…?”
“He’s been pretty down lately. The ADC wanted to do something to help him get back in the game.”
In truth, the major was a walking, talking example of the Peter Principle: in a system where we tend to promote based on past performance, he’d risen to a level of respective incompetence. And rather than holding him accountable for that incompetence, our leadership had chosen to reward him in hopes that it might inspire improvement.
It didn’t.
What Wrong Looks Like
During my time in uniform, I’d heard this described as the “5% rule” or the “95-5 problem.” Leaders often spend 95% of their time dealing with 5% of the workforce. That 5% is inevitably under-performers, people whose consistently poor effort creates added work for everyone else. They either can’t or won’t “get with the program.” They are a constant distraction, often the source of disciplinary issues, and tend to draw the focus away from the core mission and onto themselves.
Poor performers create persistent leadership challenges. Too often, leaders resort to “easy button” solutions that neither hold people accountable for underperformance nor offer lasting solutions. Rather than hold an under-performer to a standard, they accept below average efforts or reassign their tasks to others. That becomes the unwritten standard and the performance of the entire organization begins to slip. The avalanche follows.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
Ignore the problem
Poor performance isn’t fine wine; it doesn’t get better with age. Ignoring under-performers emboldens them to do less and inspires your high performers to find gainful employment elsewhere.
Avoid the issue
Conflict can be uncomfortable. Avoiding the issue only delays the inevitable. Suck it up, Cupcake is more than the title of a book. The longer you wait to address the issue, the worse it will get.
Fail to document
If you’re in a leadership role, documenting performance – both good and bad – is part of the job. You might be able to get away with that with your high performers, but neglecting this with under-performers will cost you dearly. Simply put, you can’t confront an issue that you haven’t documented.
Treat them differently
The operative phrase to remember: Praise in public, criticize in private. But there’s a caveat to this idiom: Never – and I mean, never – praise poor performance. Regardless of your intentions, when you compel your high performers to watch you reward an under-performer for simply showing up on time, you will never earn that respect back. Treat everyone equally, with dignity and respect; but only celebrate achievements that are deserving of recognition.
What Right Looks Like
In a recent Harvard Business Review article, Ruth Gotian captured the essence of the 5% rule: “High performers, who are generally 400% more productive than an average employee (and as high as 800% more productive in highly complex occupations, such as software developers), are often overlooked.” Instead, leaders focus on the five percent, under-performers who seem to demand more attention. That imbalance, Gotian writes, is incredibly costly, “leading to disengagement, frustration, and ultimately, the loss of top talent.”
We often neglect our high performers because they’re more self-sufficient and require less attention. They don’t need detailed guidance or supervision and thrive in their independence. And they deliver exceptional results every time. As Gotian notes, “Why fix what isn’t broken?”
Because high performers have needs, too. They’re motivated and driven, but we ignore them at our own peril. Rather than succumb to the 5% rule, a few simple actions will forge an environment where your talented few remain engaged and committed.
1. Recognition and Appreciation.
Most high performers don’t need a lot of validation, but their efforts need to be acknowledged. A little recognition and appreciation go a long way. They not only motivate the high performers but create “a powerful spillover effecton the rest of the team.” The key is to know your team well enough to know how they prefer to be acknowledged and “tailor your approach accordingly.”
2. Opportunities for Growth and Challenge.
High performers love a good challenge. They thrive in a position that presents challenges that push them to be their very best. A leader’s responsibility is to find new challenges that offer opportunities for growth and development. That means working closely with your high performers, so you know how best to align their passions with the right challenges and opportunities.
3. Clear Pathways for Advancement.
High performers are ambitious, always pushing to stretch themselves and reach beyond their boundaries. Don’t wait for them to ask; give them a concrete target to aim for, and not some vague promise of a promotion that never comes to be. Do that and they’ll redefine your concept of high performance.
4. Autonomy and Trust.
The best leaders empower their high performers with trust and autonomy; the worst leaders micromanage their best talent. If you want the best from your high performers, provide them with clear guidance and intent and let them operate as independently as possible. Give them the resources and support they need. They’re not a fire-and-forget missile, but they perform best with a wide degree of freedom of maneuver.
5. Alignment with Organizational Values.
Some people want validation. Some people want money. Some people want a nice title and an office with a window. High performers want a purpose. Simon Sinek calls this “starting with the why,” explaining that the purpose is how great leaders inspire action. Take the time to define that purpose, to align your high performers’ passions with the team’s organizational values. As Gotian writes, “when employees are able to align their work with their personal values, their engagement increases which ultimately results in high creativity and productivity.”
Ultimately, leading high-performance teams isn’t all that complicated. You want to get the most from your high performers? Let them cook.
