Picking top performers

Don’t let a good thing go to waste

A manager’s ability to identify, nurture and retain top performers is one of their most valuable skills. While the manager’s odds of finding a true top performer is mostly based on luck, being able to make the most of each of these opportunities will determine if they are in the top 1% or not. This skill especially pays dividends over time, since consistently giving time and mindshare to top performers results in a network of some of the most highly skilled and sought after people out there, which greatly increases your value as a manager.

To be able to do this well, understanding how the top performers think is vital. Specifically:

1. How do you identify a top performer? High performers are purpose-driven, and will clearly understand how you fit in their journey. They don’t see their role as a job, but as a way of fulfilling their purpose.

2. How do you nurture your top performers so they stay the top? Help your top performers along their journey to achieve their goals. Be a coach, an advisor or a peer to them depending on the need.

3. How do you retain your top performers, so you strengthen your team over time? This is all about building a relationship through trust and respect.

Since the top 10% are the ones that matter, spending the majority of your time ensuring that you find, grow and keep your top performers happy will result in the highest performing team you can create.

Identifying top performers

Meeting top performers is somewhat random since they are very rare. Usually, you are either actively seeking them out through your network, or they will sometimes randomly walk onto your doorstep. However, regardless of how they get there, making sure you can identify them when you interact with them is based on your skill.

The clearest signal of a top performer, regardless of their level of experience, is that they are very obviously purpose-driven. They know why they are talking to you. They have a view of what value they can provide for you, as well as what they are getting from working for you. They will see you as a part of their journey toward their long term goal, and not just a job that they do everyday. The goal, however, is different depending on if they are early career, mid career or late career.