Introduction
Top performers are such an amazing asset to any workforce, but it can be a delicate balance between using them to motivate your team and showing favoritism. How do you avoid discouraging the rest of your team while leveraging the top performers in a way that leaves everyone motivated to do their best?
We talked to some great industry businesspeople and asked them for their advice on the subject. They had some great ideas and feedback! Continue reading to learn more about how you can leverage your top performers to motivate the rest of your team.
Ask Them For Advice
It can be easy for a top performer to feel undervalued. This is especially true if there’s a large gap between them and the rest of the team. Give them a purpose and a role by encouraging them to grow in leadership and ask them to give you advice.
“Your top performers are some of your greatest assets when it comes to team feedback,” says Ryan Rockefeller, Co-founder for Cleared. “They’re on the front lines and may be your best insight into what’s holding others back. Letting them give you advice about what would make the team function better can also show them the trust and appreciation you have for what they do.”
“Let them know you respect their opinions and performance by asking them for advice on occasion,” says Ryan Rottman, Co-Founder & CEO of OSDB. “Seek out their council on team matters and areas that they have expertise in. You can also ask them how you can improve their work life as well. Being a top performer isn’t a walk in the park – they may be struggling with some things as well that you could make easier.”
Use Them As Mentors
While you don’t want to overwhelm your top performers, if they’re open to the idea, using them as mentors can be a fantastic move. There are so many studies that show the benefits of using mentors in the workplace to create a culture of positive encouragement and accountability.
“Your top performers can motivate others through mentoring them on a one-to-one or a small group basis,” says Jeremy Gardner, CEO of MadeMan. “Showing your appreciation of what they do by asking them to be leaders and mentor others can make a profound impact on them and on the people they mentor.”
“Look into creating an office mentor program,” says Amanda E. Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer for Nailboo. “Allow your team to hear things from a team member and you’ll be surprised how different the results may be compared to the same message coming from you.”
Don’t Forget About Them
This sounds ridiculous considering they’re your top performers, but just because they’re amazing at their job doesn’t mean they don’t need you. Look into ways you can continue to help them grow and improve professionally just as you would for your staff that are struggling.
“A great way to lose your top performers – whether that’s to another company or simply because they stop trying – is to stop putting effort into them,” says Trey Ferro, CEO of Spot Pet Insurance. “You may think that your top performers are fine to manage themselves for the most part, but if you start to neglect them, they may feel unimportant and set a bad example for the rest of your team if their motivation slacks.”
“Look for ways to encourage your top performers to continue to grow and learn,” says Phillip Akhzar, CEO of Arka. “If your team sees them continuing to grow as someone who’s already at the top of their game, it’s going to encourage the rest of the team to pursue higher professional development and results as well.”
Feature Them And Their Work
Depending on your industry, workplace community, and the format of your organization, you may be able to feature these employees in a way that will motivate others while also giving your top performers recognition they deserve.
“Instead of having a guest speaker come in and give a motivational speech to motivate your team, ask one of your top performers to give it a shot,” says Michael Hennessy, Founder and CEO for Diathrive. “You could have someone interview them or ask them to create a presentation that highlights what they’ve done to make it where they are today. Peer motivation can be so powerful – take advantage of it.”
“Look at the opportunities you have to feature your top performers and their work,” says Shaun Price, Head of Customer Acquisition at MitoQ. “If your workplace has a way of tracking performance in a way that you could feature results each week or month, try using that as an incentive. If you’re looking for a way to do this without discouraging your lowest performers, you could also recognize the people who are improving the most.”
Conclusion
Top performers are incredible assets to have on a team, but leveraging their abilities to motivate the rest of your team can be a bit of a balancing act. However, there were some great options listed in this article that you can try out.
Look at creating a mentorship program within your organization. Having your top performers mentor their teammates can help encourage them to continue in their efforts because they’re being recognized and given responsibilities as well.
You also want to make sure you’re giving them plenty of opportunities to grow their own skill sets as well. Don’t let them feel forgotten about or you may end up losing the momentum they’ve brought to the team. Instead, look at asking them to be motivational speakers or find ways to feature their hard work within the office.
Finally, ask your top performers for advice. They’re working with people on the team and likely have better insight into what could cause a lack of motivation and what could be done to help the rest of the team perform better in the future.
