Promote Bs to As: Invest in Employees Who Have High Potential
Managers tend to focus on two groups: the overachievers and the underachievers. “We spend time with people who are crushing it because it’s fun,” says Tom Gimbel, founder and CEO of Lasalle Network, a staffing and recruiting company based in Chicago. “Then, we focus on the C players, as we try to figure out how to make them succeed.”
As a result, he says, you neglect the employees who could become high performers — aka the B players.
B players often account for the majority of an organization’s workforce, but they are often overlooked. Here’s how to make them a vital part of your team.
Assess Employee Potential
A Players
- They have innate skills, desire and ability to be great.
- Leaders want to be around them because they produce results.
B Players
- They are typically timid and lack confidence.
- Overall, they tend to be flexible and open to new ideas, as they are curious.
- They respond well to feedback and excel with guidance.
- Typically, they need incentives for motivation.
C Players
- They are uninterested and typically don’t care.
- Typically, they lack motivation and are comfortable with the status quo.
- Oftentimes they easily become defensive.
- They will challenge everything and reject leadership.
Rank Your Team
- Who do you like the best?
- Who has the most potential?
- Who is the best at their job?
Why should you rank employees? “It’s not a way to cut staff,” Gimbel says. “Instead, it helps you maintain ongoing awareness of where your employees stand in terms of motivation, and it provides a consistent evaluation of their potential.”
How to Motivate B Players
Your B players have potential, Gimbel says. To help them harvest that potential, you need to emphasize their strengths and improving on their weaknesses. You do this through:
- Provide Feedback: Give direct feedback without fillers. Say: “You missed something in XYZ task.” Not: “I think you missed something in XYZ task.”
- Build Structure: Outline a specific plan for development. Set deadlines and expectations.
- Focus on Mentorship: Find ways to help them develop hard and soft skills so they can build confident. Pair a B player with an A player (as long as the A player doesn’t have a poor attitude, otherwise your B player will regress).
Feedback Tip
Too often people worry about if they sent the message, Gimbel says. Instead, worry about if the message was received.
“My tip is to ask an employee to tell you what they heard,” he says. “Six or seven times out of 10 they didn’t hear it right. Make sure you’re on the same page.”
Gimbel spoke at the 2022 Top Producer Summit. Watch a recording of his session:
Top Producer Summit: Why You Should Focus on Your "B" Players
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