On a team or organization you are going to have people that perform on different levels. The ideal team is to have a group of star performers but we know that this does not happen, not by itself at least. So how can you increase the number of “Super Stars” on your team? The answer is focus on the “Middle Stars”!
There are 3 levels of performers: “Super Stars” who are exceptional performers, “Middle Stars” who are not perfect but they are meeting the expectations and are willing to learn, and “Fallen Stars” who have major performance issues. It is not worth your time focusing on the “Fallen Stars” because usually they have made the decision to not perform at their full potential. It makes no sense in wasting valuable coaching time on someone who is not going to make something of themselves.
The majority of your team is going to be “Middle Stars”. These people are doing what is expected of them but if you spent more time with them and mentored them it’s easier to bring them to the top with the “Super Stars” than it would be to bring up a “Fallen Star”. Some tips to coach “Middle Stars” from WalkTheTalk.com are:
1. Build their confidence by increasing their responsibilities
2. Give frequent and accurate performance feedback
3. Teach them how to set goals and keep their performance on track
4. “Catch” them doing good things and praise them
You could also leverage your “Super Stars” to help you motivate the others to do great work and to reach goals. Share your team vision with everyone but really use your “Super Stars” to keep it alive.
Lead by example and you will see positive results!
Stephanie Smith 