A couple of months ago on this blog, I covered research that explored how different companies deploy their high performers. Results suggested more successful organizations cluster their high performers together in core functions, while less successful companies more evenly space out their talent.
In that post, I proposed a couple of mechanisms to explain why clustering was more effective than an even distribution, either because of greater concentrations in core areas or leveraging unique effects of social connections among those top performers.
There may yet be a third explanation, as revealed by research just published in Harvard Business Review. Across a field study and an experiment, researchers found evidence of a “social downside to high achievement” when high performers stand out from the rest of the group.
That scenario is much more likely when talent is dispersed as opposed to clustered together, and could help explain the lower effectiveness of the former strategy. But what is that “social downside” exactly and how does it work?
In the context of collaborative teams, consistent performers may be guided by either emotional (i.e., envy) or cognitive (i.e., self-interest) forces to maintain team cohesion and solidarity against the perceived threat posed by high performers. The researchers found these forces could manifest themselves in the form of counterproductive behaviors, like insults, belittling, or even sabotage.
Curiously, these are not the only forces at play - a paradox exists in that teams appreciate the status, prestige, and resources that a high performer can bring to the team. That makes team equilibrium an ever-shifting and energy-intensive balancing act, diminishing the team’s ability to be effective.
The solution for business leaders and their HR business partners is to create a “social upside” instead.
One pillar of that approach is leveraging a social recognition platform, a recommendation I also made in my previous post but with an added angle. Recognition is ideally suited to capture and celebrate the connections between consistent and top performers, creating norms of shared successes and a team mindset.
The second pillar is a more active and continuous approach to performance, shifting away from traditional methods that emphasize individual accomplishment, and toward those that reward the team. Involving everyone in that process is an opportunity to create empowerment rather than tension, as well as give insight to the team lead on the pattern of contributions being made across the team.
Arming team members with these tools, in support of a team mindset and shared success, may be the answer when clustering high performers together just isn’t feasible, or for any team leader looking to improve the productivity of their team.
What have you found to be successful in driving group performance?
As Globoforce’s Vice President of Client Strategy and Consulting, Derek Irvine is an internationally minded management professional with over 20 years of experience helping global companies set a higher ambition for global strategic employee recognition, leading workshops, strategy meetings and industry sessions around the world. He is the co-author of "The Power of Thanks" and his articles on fostering and managing a culture of appreciation through strategic recognition have been published in Businessweek, Workspan and HR Management. Derek splits his time between Dublin and Boston. Follow Derek on Twitter at @DerekIrvine.
Nice post! I liked your great leadership thoughts.
Posted by: Jordan Schleider | 06/05/2017 at 12:52 AM