Rewarded with More Work: The High Performer's Dilemma

Two Monks on a Motorcycle: Corporate Zen Stories

Day 58

In today’s fast-paced corporate landscape, organizations are constantly seeking ways to maximize productivity, streamline operations, and meet ever-increasing demands. While this pursuit of excellence is necessary for survival, many companies unknowingly fall into a deep-rooted, insidious practice that damages not only productivity but also morale: they keep flogging the winning horses.

The phrase "flogging a dead horse" is familiar to many, but in this context, we refer to the opposite—overworking the high performers, the so-called "winning horses," while allowing the underperformers, or "deadwood," to stay hidden or flourish unnoticed. This practice is far too common, yet it's rarely acknowledged openly. It creates a counterproductive cycle that affects both the individuals being overburdened and the wider organizational culture.

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The Cycle of Overburdening High Performers

High performers are the backbone of any successful company. They are efficient, motivated, and often the go-to people for critical tasks. Unfortunately, this very reliability becomes their downfall. Leaders, consciously or unconsciously, tend to allocate more work to these individuals under the assumption that they can handle it. At the same time, the "deadwood" stays hidden in the shadows, contributing little but evading accountability.

The outcome? Fatigue, frustration, and resentment. These high performers, who once felt valued for their contributions, begin to feel taken for granted. Over time, this leads to burnout, a distaste for the very work they once enjoyed, and in many cases, attrition. Worse, the narrative starts to spread—those who work hard are punished with more work, while others who contribute less remain undisturbed.

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Organizational Impact: A Culture of Inequity

This flawed practice creates a ripple effect across the organization. As the burden on high performers increases, the lack of consequences for underperformance becomes glaringly obvious to everyone. Teams start to see the inequity, and it fosters a toxic culture where merit is seemingly disregarded, and complacency is rewarded.

In such environments, motivation and morale take a significant hit. Employees no longer feel driven by a sense of fairness or reward. Instead, a “why bother?” attitude creeps in, where individuals who were once productive question the value of going the extra mile. After all, if effort results in more work, while minimal contribution carries no penalty, it becomes rational to opt for the path of least resistance.

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The Illusion of Reflection and Change

One of the most frustrating aspects of this phenomenon is the organizational response—or lack thereof. Companies may occasionally acknowledge the imbalance in workloads, offering lip service about change. Leadership meetings are held, surveys are conducted, and committees are formed, but in the end, nothing substantial changes. The cycle continues, and the frustration mounts.

This tokenism—acknowledging the issue without addressing the root causes—leaves employees disillusioned. High performers feel unheard, while the complacent remain undisturbed. In such environments, cultural decay sets in. Employees lose faith in leadership’s willingness or ability to enact meaningful change.

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Breaking the Cycle: A Call to Action

To address this malady, organizations must adopt a proactive approach to people practices. It starts with a commitment to equity and accountability, ensuring that both high performers and underperformers are treated fairly. Here are some key strategies:

Balanced Workload Distribution: Ensure that tasks are distributed equitably across the team. While high performers may be more efficient, this doesn’t mean they should bear the brunt of the work. Regular reviews of workload distribution can help prevent overburdening key individuals.

Recognition Beyond Volume: Recognize and reward employees not just for the volume of work they complete, but for the quality and impact of their contributions. This encourages a broader, more holistic view of performance.

Accountability for All: Underperformance should be addressed, not ignored. This requires setting clear expectations and consequences. A culture that allows underperformers to hide fosters resentment and disengagement among those who contribute meaningfully.

Meaningful Leadership Reflection: Organizations must move beyond lip service. Reflection and acknowledgment of issues are only the first steps; action must follow. This includes transparent communication about changes and follow-through on promises made to employees.

Cultivating a Culture of Fairness: Fairness must become a core value embedded in the organizational DNA. Employees need to see that merit is rewarded, underperformance is corrected, and that the company is invested in their well-being.

The practice of overburdening high performers while allowing others to coast is a critical flaw in modern people practices. It erodes trust, fosters negativity, and leads to a culture where effort is punished rather than rewarded. Organizations must recognize the long-term damage this causes and take steps to course-correct before their winning horses turn into the next batch of disillusioned employees.

A true reflection on organizational culture involves not just addressing surface-level issues but confronting deep-rooted imbalances in how work is distributed and rewarded. Only then can companies create a thriving, sustainable work environment where everyone, not just a few, pulls their weight.

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