Can high potential performers struggle? If they struggle, does that mean they are not actually a high potential performer? Did you evaluate them wrong? 

Don't beat yourself up about this. Anyone that has ever led people, or will in their future will come across this dilemma. 

According to Harvard Business Review's definition of high potential:

High potentials consistently and significantly outperform their peer groups in variety of settings and circumstances. While achieving these superior levels of performance, they exhibit behaviours that reflect their companies' culture and values in an exemplary manner. Moreover, they show a strong capacity to grow and succeed throughout their careers within an organization - more quickly and effectively than their peer groups. 

Do we really think we could throw a high potential into any situation and their potential would enable them to adapt, and then thrive?

Who are these people?

Even an Avenger sometimes gets clobbered and sits on the side-lines.

And what about in our current state of global affairs - a pandemic, a looming recession, schools and business closures, a possible tornado...anything else you'd like to throw at them?

I'm hearing that some of the coolest, calmest executives are losing their chi as their 4-year old is climbing all over them in a virtual sales call or a presentation to the board of directors.

And I think all of this OK. At some level, we needed this disruptive reset to our bloated, obsessive, consumptive behaviours. We are seeing vulnerabilities, compassion and relatable humans now.

I am observing teams, leaders and individuals breathe a little deeper and realign to what's essential and purposeful. Truly remarkable activities are emerging and inventions that will give off goosebumps when they transpire. 

After coaching leaders over the past weeks, the question about whether they have the right team to take them into the next round of pivoting came up. They began questioning their team members' ability to be resilient, keep their sh*t together and that they may have evaluated their team or individual's potential incorrectly.

A few things to consider:

- Am I, as the team leader, fully present and operating at 100%? Many CEOs or executive teams have been pushed to the brink of exhaustion over the last few months as they made some of the toughest decisions of their careers. 

- Was my team member fully present and operating at 100%? Maybe not? Did I ask them? Maybe if I asked them I'd learn that their mom went in for a test, or their partner lost their job; or they had to pull their daughter from day care as the facility couldn't guarantee a safe distance between children and now they needed to care for their daughter during work hours. And it wasn't like we had 6 months to scenario plan prior to this. 

- Are you triggered? And when you were at 60% one day, do you think you may have lost your patience hoping your god-like high potential performer should have picked up the slack?

- Are they triggered? Let's face it...the last few months have been draining on all of us...and it's not over. Have they snapped at you? At someone else? Are you talking about these situations openly and figuring out ways to imbed RESILIENCY 101 into every check-in?

- Are they still that great team member with oodles of potential? Most likely, but why don't we pause the evaluating (and doubt) to give them some space to figure out their new normal. Or ask them if they need help? A coach? 

These questions save you from having the troubling burden to determine this team member's entire future based on how they operated during COVID-19.

Instead...

Can you answer these questions clearly on each of your employees right now? (Questions taken from Marcus Buckingham's book, Nine Lies About Work.):

• What are they each working on now?
• How do they like to work?
• What do they thrive at doing?
• What do they struggle with?
• What do they aspire to do?
• What do they need to learn?

Gather the answers for these questions. Leave the evaluation about high potential performance for the time-being. Put the 9-box matrix aside.

Focus on learn and pivot versus pass or fail.

Reconnect with your people on helping them thrive in the new normal over the next 6, 12, 18 months.

Let's continue the discussion of performance and potential. Reach out to me or leave a comment with this post.

Be safe. Live well. Stay home.

About Brenda:

I am Brenda Rigney. I have been leading teams and organizations for 25 years. My clients are Founders, CEO’s and Executive leaders that want to make a bigger difference with their teams. These leaders are vested in connecting with their people, aligning the company culture and strategy, and developing themselves to be a mindful leader with their work, their relationships and their well-being. I am at my best when I am living my vision of expanding the potential of women, as done by mentoring young women in business, learning how to advance women executives on boards, or fundraising to improve the rural conditions of women in third world countries. I reside in Vancouver, Canada.