How can you support your top performers?

Supporting your top performers is crucial, and empowering them has always been a key strategy for me. I focus on giving them autonomy and trust. By allowing them to take ownership of their projects and make decisions, they feel more invested in their work. I avoid micromanaging and instead, act as a support system, ready to offer guidance when needed but not hovering over every detail. I make it clear that their ideas are valued and encourage them to think creatively and push boundaries. I also make sure to involve them in strategic decisions. By bringing them into high-level discussions and considering their input, they feel their expertise is recognized and respected.

To support your top performers, offer them meaningful challenges and growth opportunities that align with their career goals. Recognize their achievements openly and provide regular, constructive feedback. Ensure they have the resources and autonomy they need to excel, and engage in career development discussions to tailor their professional journey to their strengths and aspirations.

Communicating the organization's vision and how their work contributes to its success can instill a sense of pride and purpose in top performers. Involving them in strategic planning and decision-making processes can also make them feel valued and integral to the company's future. Providing opportunities for professional growth is another vital aspect.

Supporting your top performers is crucial to retaining their talent, maintaining high productivity, and fostering a positive work environment. Here are several ways to effectively support top performers: 1. Recognition and Appreciation 2. Career Development Opportunities 3. Challenging Assignments 4. Autonomy and Decision-Making 5. Regular Feedback and Coaching 6. Flexible Work Arrangements 7. Resources and Support 8. Recognition of Work-Life Balance 9. Promote Their Work and Contributions 10. Monitor and Adjust Support 11. Create a Positive Work Environment 12. Retention Strategies

Supporting top performers involves recognizing and rewarding their contributions, offering opportunities for professional growth, and providing regular, constructive feedback. Ensure they have challenging and meaningful work that aligns with their skills and career goals. Offer mentorship and additional responsibilities to foster their development. Maintain open communication to understand their needs and career aspirations. Provide a clear path for advancement and involve them in strategic projects. Regularly acknowledge their achievements to keep them motivated and engaged, reinforcing their value to the organization.

Work with top performers to create individualized career development plans that align with their goals and the company’s needs. Offer access to advanced training programs, workshops, and conferences to enhance their skills. Pair them with senior leaders or industry experts for mentorship opportunities. Provide access to executive coaching to help them develop leadership skills and prepare for higher responsibilities. Additionally, Assign them to high-impact projects that challenge their abilities and provide opportunities for significant contributions. Encourage them to take on roles in different departments to broaden their experience and skills.

Whilst providing your top performers with growth opportunities, it's also important to create goals that stretch their existing skills. Don't be afraid to offer cross-functional opportunities so they can share their knowledge and approach with other teams/people in the business. Avoid promoting top performers to management roles solely on the basis of technical role based performance, unless they have the required people skills and aspirations to manage. It's ok to accept, particularly in smaller businesses when growth isn't there for a top performer, and support them in what they need to progress in their career, even if this means leaving the business. Always be honest and transparent with what you can offer.

Conduct regular one-on-one meetings to discuss their insights, suggestions, and concerns. Create platforms (e.g., suggestion boxes, innovation forums) where they can share their ideas and feedback. Act on their feedback when feasible, and communicate the impact of their input on company decisions and improvements. Involve them in strategic planning sessions or task forces to utilize their insights and perspectives.

Conduct regular "stay interviews" with top performers. Give them a chance to be candid about what's working, what's not, and what leadership can do better or differently. Then, share their ideas and suggestions with the leadership team (giving them credit of course) and implement the best ideas. If / when those ideas are successful, give the employees credit and recognition for sharing ways to improve business performance. If you didn't implement their idea, follow up and help them understand why. Most of the time people (especially high performers) want to be seen and heard and want transparency around how decisions are made. They will help executive decisions that are right for the business even when it's not their own idea.

Grant them more decision-making power in their roles, allowing them to take ownership of projects and tasks. Shift from micromanagement to trust-based management, giving them the freedom to work independently. Offer flexible work options, such as remote work or flexible hours, to accommodate their work-life balance needs. Focus on outcomes and results rather than strict adherence to processes, allowing them to find the best ways to achieve their objectives. Furthermore, ensure they have access to the necessary tools, technology, and resources to perform their jobs effectively.

I’ve found that giving my top performers the freedom to manage their own projects and schedules makes a huge difference. For instance, one of my best team members thrives on flexible hours, and it’s amazing to see how much more creative and productive they become with that little bit of extra freedom. It’s like giving them the keys to their own success.

Supporting the balance of your top performers is key. Often, leaders will lean heavily on their top performers, adding more projects to their workload because they know it will be done well. However, top performers are also less likely to say no or speak up about their workload for fear of disappointing their leadership. This can put an undue hardship on your top performers, leading them to burnout, or feel stressed, to the point where they are no longer performing at their peak level, which can turn out to be a detriment to the business. Make sure to encourage them to take time off and spread around all the work. You'll reap the rewards of gaining a whole team of top performers!

Constantly surrounding high performers with excellent colleagues, peers and leaders is one of the best ways to retain and push on high performers. Set clear behaviours and attitudes that are expected, and the same for those that are not tolerated or accepted, will enable greater collaboration and success.

Regular feedback, don't wait for annual bonus time to roll around to acknowledge exceptional performance, reward them in that moment. Ask their input, include them in management discussions when applicable. All these things will make your best employees feel included and well valued.

Make sure that the high performer is closely engaged by leadership. I love how Mallika Jethmalani mentioned about 'stay interviews' The leaders need to spend time with these high performers for acknowledgment as well as to unlock bottlenecks - which in the long run will help them and the organization flourish

Identifiez les postes clés pour lesquels vos employés à haut potentiel pourraient être de bons candidats. Planifiez une rencontre pour discuter de leurs intérêts pour ces postes. Si l'intérêt est confirmé, préparez-les à ces r?les via des programmes de succession. Sinon, créez des plans de développement personnalisés qui prennent en compte leurs ambitions, leurs points forts et leurs domaines d'amélioration. Pour ceux qui aspirent à des postes de direction, vous pouvez offrir des opportunités temporaires de leadership, comme diriger des projets importants ou des initiatives stratégiques, pour développer leurs compétences en gestion et en prise de décision.