A recent HBR article asks Are You Supporting Your B Players?
It’s a good question.
Many managers focus exclusively on the low-performers, believing that their job is to bring them up to adequate performance. It’s a huge investment in time and emotion (as discussed in the oft-cited Managing a Struggling Employee).
Then there are the managers who make the mistake of talking to employees when they screw up. (And then guess what happens?)
Others invest all their time in the stars, leaving the steady performers to wonder if they matter.
Organizations need stars and the steady performers. Both are valuable.
If you want to keep you stars and steadies happy, build relationships with them. Work on it every day. It’s your job.
