Create A Culture High Performers Want To Be A Part Of
What does it mean to create a culture high performers want to be a part of? When I talk to leaders it’s often misunderstood. “I’m a cool boss”, or “My team really likes me”, or “I took my team to a baseball game last week” seem to be the answers I receive most often. That’s not what it’s about. Creating a culture high performers want to be a part of is all about accepting one single truth: poor performing employees don’t quit voluntarily.
We all wish they did, but they don’t. Let me ask you a question: When was the last time your worst performing employee gave their notice and left the organization on their own? Now…think about the last time one of your high performers, someone you didn’t want to lose did the same thing? Yeah, I know. You will never create a culture high performers want to be a part of if you allow poor performers to show up every day. Nothing will kill the spirit of your high performing, high potential employees faster than watching a leader fail to recognize them while tolerating bad behavior or bad performance.
Do you know who your high performers are? More importantly, do they know you know who they are? One of the worst things that happens to a high performer is finding out how valued they are about 2 minutes after giving their notice. Don’t let that happen. Tell them. Trust me, they want to hear it. Then, get out of their way and let them do what you hired them to do…be high performers.
But it’s just as important that your poor performers know they’re poor performers. Have you told them? We all know people who get that sick feeling in their stomach on Sunday night because they start thinking about Monday morning. I believe that happens for one of three reasons: They are a high performer, and their boss hasn’t told them yet. They are a poor performer, and their boss hasn’t told them yet. They are stuck in the middle and need direction, and you haven’t given it to them yet. Don’t be that leader.
Your high performers deserve more from you.
