3 Ways You’re Squelching Your Star Employees

82277828Star employees aren’t hard to spot. They’re easily identified by their positive attitude, outstanding productivity, and frequent success, and most managers wish all their employees had the same characteristics. But, there’s something you need to know about stars – they aren’t indestructible.

As their leader, your choices and leadership have the power to let your superstars’ talent shine bright or their passion diminish. With engaged employees having such a big influence on profitability, you really can’t afford to overshadow their work. So keep these things in mind to make sure you’re not squelching your star employees.

They’re Stars for A Reason
If you readily admit that an employee is a star performer, that means you acknowledge their talent and expertise in their field. So, utilize their expertise. If they’re extraordinary at sales, then pull them in on that new sales process you’re creating. Or, if they’re a talented graphic artist, get their input from the beginning on that product idea you dreamed up. Along those same lines, don’t question their every move. If you can’t trust their experience and judgment, then they are not a top employee. When you ignore your employees’ expertise or make them justify every decision, you’re telling them that you don’t trust them – and that’s a real morale killer.

There Are No Dimmer Switches for Stars
When someone is great at what they do, they not only can’t help being noticed, but they can also have the unintended consequences of spotlighting their mediocre or less-talented colleagues. This can ultimately result in damaged prides and cause insecurities to flare up, but don’t blame your top performers for making your other employees look bad. While you don’t want to overstep the boundaries and blatantly show favoritism, there is nothing wrong with praising and rewarding the kind of behavior and performance that you’d like to see exhibited by all your workers. There is nothing holding your other employees back from bettering their attitudes, increasing the productivity, and producing quality work. Asking your stars to tone it down for the sake of others will only serve to snuff out their light completely since stars don’t come with dimmer switches.

Stars Have Feelings Too
Nothing will squash motivation and passion faster than failing to acknowledge a star performer’s success. Or, even worse, attributing the results to someone else. Certainly, always give credit where credit is due. Insincere praise will either turn your top talent completely off or turn them into divas – neither of which are beneficial to your business’s bottom line. However, your star employees are confident in their abilities, and if they feel ignored and unappreciated they will have no problem being a star for your competition. So, acknowledge their accomplishments and show them your appreciation.

Reward good behavior and discourage bad behavior. Your star performers know what they should do and do it. Have you ever been told you’re out shining your colleagues? How do you handle your star employees? Let us know in the comments section.

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