Am I a High Performer at my job
By: Hugo'S Blog
Tags: Performance, Workplace, Work

Before we jump into the business to know if you’re or not a high performer.

Let us define what is a High Performer versus high potential.

A high potential is a person that has characteristics (we’ll discuss these later).

To be successful in different roles of bigger size, wider scope or more complexity.

In the upcoming 3 to 5 years.

Do not discourage yourself if your direct manager thinks differently.

Since many times managers see only the defects of the person.

Instead of the potential of the person.

Or tend to judge the subalterns based on their own limitations.

Believe me, it happened to me. It will feel disappointing but never quit.

Remember, “it’s very hard to beat someone that never quits”.

Not sure who said that, but it’s very inspiring.

Myth Busters

Before we jump into whether you’re not a high performer, that really doesn’t matter much.

You could become one if you manage to master habits that can help you.

If you want to know how to create habits, please follow this link.

Or send me an email if you want to ask any questions about this or other topics.

Down to business, if you’re or you want to become a high performer.

Regardless if you want to succeed in your current job role.

Or if you want to have you want to start your own business.

There are some interesting topics that will affect your perception of high performers.

These are, in particular order:

High potentials are General Managers

This is obviously not true.

They can be in any area and actually the more areas they can be found the better for them.

A person that has general ideas of how an area works is better suited to evolve.

In the corporate ladder you don’t need specialists, you need generalists.

They are the best

They’re indeed exceptional, but not necessarily the best.

And the best for what? A mentor is the best example.

High performers most likely won’t be mentors.

As teaching is a treat that comes from deep learning and passion to teach.

So being the best in teaching, doesn’t make you a high performer.

But you could be one as well.

The highest performers are High Potentials

A high potential is a person that can be ready for the next step or position.

Someone that has the discerning to make proper decisions in difficult situations.

About 33% or 1 in 3 high performers will be a high potential.

Another way to look at this, is that 66% of the high potentials are not high performers.

As you can see there, you can be a person that delivers very efficiently within the organization.

But not necessarily groom to be in a higher position.

Sometimes because you don’t want that yourself.

You don’t want to handle people but are happy just by delivering the best just by yourself.

And many high potential positions will require handling people and people interaction.

Then we have ourselves a high performer that doesn’t want to be a high potential.

Fitting the description.

I want all team to be High Potential

Incorrectly everywhere you see it.

You don’t want to have a team of superheroes with all Iron Man personalities.

Or all Captain America trying to lead everyone else.

That is why it makes sense to balance a team.

Some are followers and perform just as good as high potentials.

Diversity is a fundamental part of any team.

You need people that can specialize in their areas.

And some few that can drive and maintain the stamina of the team like high performers.

Also need natural leaders like High potentials to show us the way.

And do not lose focus of the objective.

Mental Agility

In this ever changing world, there is one constant that we can see everywhere.

You must learn in order to survive.

One of the aspects of the learning process is how your mental strength or agility

In that sense high performers will feel comfortable with complex problems.

They review those problems in an unusual way.

By trying to explain those problems to others they will make connections.

That looks more understandable to others.

And therefore more easy to follow.

Some characteristics of a person that has or don’t have a good mental agility will be:

Prefer known solutions vs inquisitive or curious.

Easily assimilate complex problems.

Only see problems with one point of view.

Enjoy exploring and learning more to solve problems.

On the other hand, there are other mistakes made by people.

Incorrectly assuming that high IQ means well educated.

How many do you personally know with their MBAs or PhD but they’re not smart enough.

Confidence during speaking doesn’t necessarily mean that a person is mentally agile.

Another important condition is to assume that someone good with numbers will be a high performer.

And finally, knowing details of many different things doesn’t make it a good performer.

People Person

Once we know if we have mental agility.

Next thing will be if I’m a people person.

Do not be dis encourage if you’re not.

Many people don’t know how to deal with people.

And that doesn’t make them low performers or low potentials.

But in the end, knowing how to connect with others is important.

And before we move on, please read this blog about empathy versus sympathy.

A people person is some that adapts to different cultures.

Not only from the region but also from other continents.

Curious about other cultures and uses these as a strength to approach the individual.

A person that is an exceptional communicator. who sees conflict as an opportunity rather than a problem.

And understand the importance of diversity and differences in the team to reach a more inclusive solution.

Reading teams dynamics, or what everyone does or likes to do.

Let us not confuse ourselves with some other characteristics.

That may seem like a people person but they’re not.

Like being a nice guy or gal or someone that is charismatic.

And that doesn’t mean that a high performer doesn’t have those attributes.

It just means that a nice guy won’t necessarily be a high performer.

Butt kissers also won’t align into the high-of-anything definition.

Self serving person with upper management is not someone that can be a people person.

Change Skills

Every time that I see this, it comes to my mind from one cartoon I saw many years ago.

A leader asking their people, who likes change and everyone chanting saying “yes!”

Then the same leader asks the same people, who want to change and nobody talks.

Just a fly passing by you can hear.

Finally the leader asks who wants to lead change and everyone is gone.

Arguably enough, we all are like that, at some point or the other.

In our professional lives, even myself coming from a continuous improvement area.

One of the attributes of a high performer is his or her ability to embrace new ideas.

Experiment, and know that not all things will go as planned.

A person that is optimistic about the future or easy going doesn’t mean that they will be able to cope with changes.

Or that mind set that “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it”.

The more mistakes you make the more step stones you can use.

To increase your knowledge and prove to be a high performer.

I told someone a long time ago, I wish I would know all the things I knew when I was young.

So I won’t make the same mistakes today.

And he replied, if you didn’t make all those mistakes.

You wouldn’t know the things you know today.

One has to make those mistakes in order to grow.

And eventually become what you want to be.

Results Driven

Leading change is important.

But make a plan, stick to it and motivate yourself to it’s a different thing.

With the end goal in mind it’s very powerful to see the end in your mind.

A person that enjoys working in several things at the same time.

Is someone to look for as a high performer.

Attention to detail, cooperative or positive attitude.

Are not necessarily aspects of a high performer.

As well as working long hours.

One boss told me if you stay too long work hours, that means only two things.

Either you’re inefficient in your work or you’re overloaded with work.

Both of those are my responsibility and need to address promptly.

Remember my motto: Never work hard, always work smart.

You can always do both at the same time when needed.

But if you only work hard, you will never try to be smart at what you’re doing.

There is always a downside

Remember that for every spotlight you have, there is always a shadow.

High learning agile people tend to have another set of attributes.

That makes them unique and a good leader should recognize those.

By talking to them constantly, aside from the normal work conversation.

Once a year conversation to review performance objectives is a work a clown can make.

Monthly, quarterly conversations with meaning to understand emotions.

Difficulties, or personal need of a person.

It’s the work of a leader.

What happens if your leader / manager doesn’t do that.

The answer is obvious and it’s in your face, even though you don’t want to see it. It’s time to move on.

Those characteristics or shadows of a high performer can be.

Impatience, getting bored too easily.

Always seeking for the next challenge, instead of finishing the current one.

Maybe disorganized and poor at details.

Take on challenges beyond the team’s ability, thinking he or she can solve them.

When there is not one person’s job, it’s teamwork.

How to Assess a High Potential

Finally, there are several areas in which we assess someone or ourselves.

To know if they or we’re high performers.

Some are motivational drivers, some are behaviors they show.

Their previous performance is important to determine the potential.

And that learning agility that we cover before it will help determine if the person is ready or not.

In the motivational drivers you can find:

Behaviors like using initiative and taking responsibility.

Or achieving objectives and pursuing self-development.

Those are some of habits you will like to see in a high potential.

Also there are some negative themes that you don’t want to see.

But in the opposite side you don’t want them to be neutral about them:

Passive presence.

Perfectionist.

Back off under pressure.

Avoid risks.

Doesn’t not get insight from others.

Very serious.

Shows frustration and emotions.

Expects others to perform without motivation.

Finally you don’t want a person that does everything by him/herself.

As teams whether you have on site or off site.

Are becoming an essential part of our daily routines.

Please reach to me with any questions or concerns to my email.

Please subscribe to receive weekly updates on how to be better every day.