A few years ago, an executive complained to me that his facilities organization was not functioning well. He explained he purposely developed an organization staffed only with outstanding individuals who consistently overachieved and were considered superstars. With all this talent, he could not understand why his organization was not producing the results he expected.
What the executive did not realize was that his organization development strategy was flawed. A facilities organization staffed exclusively with superstars is not always the best long-term strategy for success. While superstars bring valuable traits to an organization, an executive needs to know how to use them and what to expect as accomplished staff mature within the organization.
There is no question superstars add tremendous value to an organization. A study by McKinsey & Company reports an average star performer outperforms their peers by 400 percent or more. Superstars have a serious positive impact on organizations in a multitude of ways.
In support of the above, Jennifer Bowen, the chief marketing officer at the company Motivation Code highlights the exclusive characteristics a superstar brings to an organization.
Achievement is the number one goal. Superstars are driven to excel and strive to go beyond performance metrics established by a manager. They are motivated to seek the “gold” because they want to stand out and impress others. Superstars have something to prove to themselves and those that see and evaluate them. This purposeful attitude is contagious for the rest of a team.
Self-motivation is critical. Super achievers do their best when they are given a high level of freedom and autonomy to perform their jobs. With an elevated sense of self-awareness, they understand their own strengths and weaknesses and how to use the best version of themselves to succeed.
Asking for help is not above them. Unlike other employees, superstars are not afraid to ask for help when they need it. They fully understand the difference between personal worth and value, and professional accomplishment. Since they are averse to wasting time, superstars want to have the best guidance and direction, so they ask for help early, rather than waiting until they are stuck.
Masters of time management. Super achievers have figured out methods and techniques for getting from point A to point Z in the shortest time. They have experimented with different productivity approaches and have discarded those that are ineffective and non-productive.
Thrive under pressure. Never afraid to tackle a new task, superstars perform their best work under pressure. They are not discouraged by failure and adopt takeaways from their mistakes to apply to the next challenge.
Infuse a can-do spirit. While they want to be recognized for what they deliver, high achievers appreciate the value of having other team members succeed individually as well as part of a team. Through their work patterns, superstars share knowledge and high-performance habits. This type of spirit spreads to other team members and lifts them up to perform at higher levels.
These stellar performance characteristics are shown early in a superstar’s career when the challenges are fresh, and the energy level is high. Their end results are governed by individual goals and personal achievement more than anything else. Human resources personnel call this the establishment phase of a superstar’s work history.
The superstar glow does not last forever as superstars in an organization mature in several ways. First, they mature along with the overall organization as it becomes comfortable with its functional tempo. Superstars typically establish a fast pattern and pace for the organization to follow that naturally becomes routine as staff work together over a prolonged period.
Second, superstars, like all employees, age chronologically. As they get older and secure their stature within and outside the organization, their performance may begin to wane. When their work priorities and orientation begin to shift, high achievers need to be managed in a special way.
Stormy Friday is founder and president of The Friday Group, an international facilities services consulting firm. She is a member of the ProFMI Commission, a governance body that serves as an advisory committee for the Professional Facility Management Institute’s (ProFMI) activities.
Does Your FM Organization Need Superstars?
