Certain Uncertainty

24The Need for High Achievers in the Era of Uncertainty*

Ruth Gotian

The Great Reshuffle. Quiet Quitting. Whichever label you wish to put on it, employees are either walking out the door or not exhibiting the full array of their talent. They are likely doing their job, but not at their full potential. It is time to reimagine how we recruit, lead, and retain our most productive, effective, and innovative employees; the high achievers and their close cousins, the high potentials. They can become your organization's future, and you can earn a reputation as the leader with an eye for finding and building top talent. You can earn the reputation of a leader with the Midas touch.

Traditionally, leaders give most of the attention to our low performers, those who are not meeting predefined metrics. They get sent to courses and workshops to improve their skills. They have a supervisor who periodically checks in with them. Those who meet or exceed metrics don't get any of those opportunities.

The high performers are watching from the sidelines. With great frustration, they are noticing where the company spends precious time and resources. The high performers recognize that the low performers receive a disproportionate percentage of the organization's investment. This imbalance may not be the intention, but it is the reality. Before long, your high performers will resign or quietly quit, meaning they will no longer be working to their full potential, but still collecting a paycheck. As ...