How to retain your unsung hero team members

You know those people on your team who you rely on to always give a little extra and solve any problem at the eleventh hour? I hate to tell ya - these unsung heroes often don’t stick around long.?

Why? Because being the workhorse or person who saves the day often comes with feeling undervalued or unappreciated, a recipe for leaving a team.?

Now this one hits especially home for me because I was this workhorse over and over again in my early career, thinking if I just did more, people would notice me. And when I was turned down for more strategic roles after raising my hand, I saw that I needed to do a better job at communicating the impact of the work I was doing.?

In this episode, I pull from my own experiences and lessons from my early career to explore why these indispensable team members—our reliable office workhorses—rarely get ahead. I share how you, as a leader, can better support and recognize these high achievers to make sure they don’t end up feeling undervalued and stuck.

?? [SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN ON APPLE // SPOTIFY ] ??

Here are three key takeaways you won’t want to miss:

1. Set Boundaries Respectfully Acknowledge your team members’ dedication and set boundaries that respect their work-life balance. Open conversations about availability and boundaries can cultivate a culture of respect and understanding. This not only helps in preventing burnout but also shows your team member that you’re not taking their extra effort for granted.?
2. Encourage Growth by Training Replacements Don’t fall into the trap of “if they leave, who will do the work?” Challenge your high performers by training them to train others. Empower them to grow and take on more strategic roles while ensuring that their current responsibilities are covered. This shows trust in their abilities and demonstrates a commitment to their career development.
3. Connect Work to Company Goals Part of your job is showing your team members see how their role aligns with the company’s bigger picture goals - and if there is no alignment, it’s also your job to shift responsibilities to make a connection. By clearly tying their daily tasks to the company’s goals, you can transform “busy work” into impactful contributions, making everyone feel like an integral part of the mission.

Your team’s success is tied directly to how well you support and grow your high performers. And work that contributes to the bottom line is strategic - we don’t want to get into an A-Team / B-Team situation.?

?? [SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN ON APPLE // SPOTIFY ] ??

The best part about all of this is these team members ALREADY want to go above and beyond - think of how much they will keep crushing it with a little more appreciation and recognition.?