This was part of an article on CallCentreHelper.com
Make a big deal about the little things, before the little things become a big deal.
By definition, our best performers are at the top of performance lists. This can put a ceiling on where it’s possible for them to progress towards or what can be developed and grown within the individual.
One of the most influential drivers of employee loyalty and tenure is personal growth. Studies have found that talent management strategies focusing on employee development and clear career progression are positively associated with employee retention1. High performers are more likely to stay with organisations that offer advancement opportunities aligned with their personal and professional goals.
When the opportunity for growth and development isn’t present or available (or is present, but unknown how to access it), this can result in a psychological phenomenon called languishing.
This is a state characterised by a lack of vitality, stagnation, and emptiness2. It’s a feeling of “blah”, of “beigeness” and of low motivation. In this state, seemingly innocuous and insignificant factors – the little annoyances we all experience in life, such as slow password resets, someone parking in “our” space, not being thanked, etc. – become amplified.
Those little things become a big deal.
With all people – but particularly with high performers who may feel that they have reached a ceiling – it’s the little things that deliver the biggest impacts on behaviour and motivation.
Making a more purposeful, focused approach on recognition of behaviours and situations for those performers and providing small, meaningful opportunities for genuine growth (i.e., mentoring other employees, seconding for team leaders, exposure to other areas of business and leadership teams etc.) can help reduce the risk of attrition in our top performers.
References:
[1] Narayanan, A., Rajithakumar, S., & Menon, M. (2019). Talent management and employee retention: An integrative research framework. Human Resource Development Review, 18(2), 228–247. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484318812159
[2] Keyes, C. L. M. (2002). The mental health continuum: From languishing to flourishing in life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 43(2), 207-222. https://doi.org/10.2307/3090197
