Build trust

It’s not easy working under high performers. While Type A bosses are driven and successful, they’re also demanding and more likely to micromanage. But you can improve your relationship, and make your job more enjoyable.

Speak up. If you disagree about something or have other concerns, be direct. Show that you’re not afraid to voice opinions, and your boss will respect you.

Get to know your boss. Build an outside-of-work relationship by sharing some of your personal passions and goals. Do you both have kids? Play tennis? Finding similarities can help build trust.

Know that it’s not you. If your boss is piling more work on you and not giving enough credit, try to push your frustrations aside and ask how she is doing. Chances are she’s not trying to be dismissive; she’s just lacking sleep or has a big decision weighing on her.

(Adapted from Tips for Working Under a Type A Boss, by Melissa Raffoni)

Keep performers happy by offering feedback

High performers are immensely valuable to any company (they can be four times as productive as average performers), but managers need to look out for their wants and needs to keep them from seeking greater challenges, growth and rewards elsewhere. One big contributing factor to their job satisfaction is feedback. How often do you sit down with your employees to discuss their performance? Chances are, not enough. Many high performers say they expect at least a monthly sit down with their managers, but only 53pc say their managers deliver on their feedback expectations. So if you’re relying on annual or semiannual performance reviews as the primary feedback mechanism with your employees, your high performers will likely begin to feel under-appreciated. Set up regular check-ins and ask how you can support their learning and development. Lay out their options for career advancement, and give stretch assignments to help them gain diverse experience.

(Adapted from What High Performers Want at Work, by Karie Willyerd)

Motivate your team

When you set goals for your team, they need to be both challenging and attainable. If they’re too easy, your employees won’t be inspired, and if they’re too daunting, they’ll become discouraged. People want the sense of accomplishment that comes from working hard to reach something, but you need to strike the right balance. Single-number goals (eg, how many contracts a sales team must sign, or how many stars a customer must give) are often either too easy or out of reach. To truly motivate your team, shift from single-number goals to high-low goals. These are goals that, rather than targeting a single number, have a high-low range that averages the same. For example, instead of asking people to open 20 new client accounts, give your team a range for success — ask them to open 18 to 22 new accounts this quarter. Evidence shows that these goals can lead to greater success.

(Adapted from When You Give Your Team a Goal, Make It a Range, by Steve Martin)

Make good writing a part of your skill set

Good writers distinguish themselves at work. We write all the time — proposals to clients, memos to leaders, emails to colleagues - but we often don’t think about improving our writing. To communicate effectively and win business, learn to write simply, clearly and precisely. The mistake many people make is writing prematurely. They work out thoughts as they’re writing, which makes their argument meandering and repetitive. Ask yourself: What should my audience know after reading this? Make your point upfront, and don’t use three words when one would do. Similarly, avoid jargon. If you rely on $10 words too much, readers will think you’re on autopilot or don’t know what you’re saying. Avoid terms like ‘actionable,’ ‘core competency,’ ‘impact-ful’ and ‘incentivise.’ And don’t be afraid to ask someone for feedback.

(Adapted from How to Improve Your Business Writing, by Carolyn O’Hara)

Encourage innovative thinking

Holding an internal competition can be a good way to drive innovation in your company. It can teach employees new skills, connect them across multiple departments and amplify the company’s overall creative ambience. If you want to create a contest to crowd-source ideas, follow these tips:

Frame the competition around a specific need. Create a challenge statement or question that focuses on an issue your company would benefit from solving. ‘Design the next big thing’ is not a good challenge statement.

(Adapted from To Encourage Innovation, Make It a Competition, by Anil Rathi)

Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, March 2nd , 2015

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