Who Are Your Top Performers?

When we work with organizations to help improve performance, one question we ask is, “Who are your top performers?” What we are seeking are examples of people who are currently doing excellent work and consistently delivering the results the organization desires.

Our question turns out to be much harder than it might seem.

Too often, we have to challenge leaders’ preconceptions to find the real top performers. To explain, let’s look at some of the usual answers we receive and examine the preconceptions behind them—and why they fall short.

Option A: Managers Who Used to Be Performers

Since managers who used to be performers were selected for advancement, they surely were the best, right? Perhaps. But the key word in that sentence is were. They were the best (perhaps).

But since these performers were promoted, two factors have changed. First, the job changed. To stay competitive, organizations have to evolve rapidly and continually. Roles must change to stay abreast of that evolution. So the role the manager filled as a past performer may not be the same role filled by current performers, making comparison problematic.

Second, the new managers have changed. They are now in a new role. Hopefully, they were selected for that role because of their potential for excellence in the new role, not just because of their performance in the old one. (That’s a subject for another day.) Since they’ve been in their new role, they’ve been acquiring new skills and mental models to replace the old ones they used as performers, which means they can no longer accurately represent the particulars of current top performers.

Option B: Those with the Longest Tenure

Those who have been there the longest must be the best, right? Not very often. Staying in a company a long time does not make an employee a top performer. Length of employment alone is not an accurate indicator of performance. Too often, people stay in jobs because they are comfortable, not because they are excelling.

Option C: Related Role

Quite often, organizations will identify a great performer, but the individual isn’t really in the role we are asking about. For example, if the role in question is that of financial advisor, then a credit counselor—who works with financial advisors and may be able to talk intelligently about that role—may be mentioned as a top performer. But it is not the same role, and all the hidden tricks, unconscious expertise, and mental models required are not the same either.

Option D: Top Performers Currently Excelling in the Role Being Studied

This is the right choice!

When we ask for top performers, what we really want are people who

• Are currently in the role being studied
• Are consistently excelling in that role
• Represent the range of geographic and organizational groups that exist in the organization

A good trick to identify the top performers is to think of the performers you would call on when the job gets really difficult. Here are some examples from different industries:

Refinery Operations

• Which operator would you prefer to be “running the board” in the event of a process flow problem?
• Which operator would call in to work when a problem occurs?

Customer Service Call Center

• Which person would you prefer to take calls from your highest value prospects?
• Which person would you want handling irate callers?
• Who is the best at converting inquiries to sales or upselling?

Sales

• Which sales executive would you prefer to handle the client with the most potential to grow?
• Who would you choose to solve a difficult client retention issue?

The bottom line is that when trying to understand what differentiates top performers from average performers, identifying and studying the top performers is essential. Only then can you accurately map how they do what they do and then build programs to help others excel in the same way.

By the way, yes—the top performers are often the busiest because you call on them all the time. But they are often the most willing to help. They want to succeed and they usually want others to succeed as well.

Who would you identify as your top performers?

photo credit: Trophy presented to Don Bradman, 1948 via photopin (license)