I once had a CEO tell me I was different than other employees, he used the analogy of not knowing what type of oil to use.

I smiled, as he accessed I was different, and provided an opening for me to share what motivated me.

A high achiever is a gift when it comes to getting results…however, that is just part of the package.  The key to ensuring you retain the high achiever is your adjustment as a leader.

Tips for dealing with high achiever in the workplace:

1.  Identify the parameters – let them run

Accept that they may not respond well to a ‘controlled process’, they have likely learned skills that have served them well.  Imagine your high achieving performing is a gifted problem solver…do you really want to establish a process for how they solve issues?

2.  Challenge them – goals with stretch, feed their strengths

Your job is to challenge them – to have them strive for their best.  Allow them to grow toward their strengths and what gives them joy.  Reward when they excel and don’t let them sand bag when setting targets.

1. Know what kind of oil they use

Understand their needs.  If they need creative freedom, if they need problems to solve, if they need complexity – don’t let them get bored – know the type of oil they need to perform at a high level.

Your goal is to grow the high performer – both in results and leadership.  Your desire is to retain the high achievers, ensure you have honest dialogue with them, and ask them if they are getting the right type of oil to perform at peak.