TURN STAR EMPLOYEES INTO SUPERSTARS
By Anne Fisher

(FORTUNE Magazine) – EVERY COMPANY, AND every team, has at least a few--those fabulous A-plus performers who consistently turn in great results, quarter after quarter, year after year. You know who they are. Heck, you may even be one of them. Let's say a few such superstars report to you. Ever think they may be in need of coaching and encouragement? No? Well, join the club. "Most managers don't see any need to help A-plus players develop and grow," notes Lisa Parker, a vice president at the Strickland Group, an executive-coaching firm based in New York City. "So these people are usually left alone, or told, 'Just keep doing what you're doing.'"

What's wrong with that? Plenty. For one thing, Parker says, harried managers often forget that their best people want to get even better and, left to their own devices, may start thinking they have to go elsewhere to do that. For another, nobody's perfect. Even the best performers have flaws that may be keeping them from kicking their careers up a notch. "Most companies concentrate all their coaching efforts on 'problem' employees. The sore thumb always gets the most attention," says Kathy Strickland, whose eponymous firm has specialized in stars for 15 years. "Often bosses think A-plus players don't want feedback or guidance. Our experience shows just the opposite to be true. High achievers want feedback, they want it now, and they want it straight."

A good place to start: Figure out what motivates your star (asking would help) and try to offer more of it. Don't assume that more money or a promotion are necessarily what everyone craves. "Stars like to succeed at difficult assignments. When they finish one, they want another," says Lisa Parker. "So make sure they have a steady stream of them. Most companies have enough tough challenges to go around." Too true. When stars do something terrific, she adds, "give them a verbal pat on the back right then. Don't wait, and don't worry about swelling their heads." At the same time, be honest and be specific. If one of your stars is the world's best at dealing with customers but could try a little harder to meet deadlines, say so. "Don't assume that because your top people are smart they know their own shortcomings or can figure these out for themselves," Parker says. "We all need someone to hold up a mirror at times."

What if you're an A-plus player whose boss just isn't doing that? Parker and Strickland suggest you go looking for a clear reflection. One of Strickland's clients, a chief operating officer, was extremely capable, highly respected, and quick to make decisions--maybe too quick. "When he asked for their honest opinion of his work, his fellow executives told him that his decisiveness was shutting out debate and discussion," she says. "This startled him, since he thought his job was to keep things moving. So he tweaked his behavior just a bit to allow for more of a consensus." Such are the small but significant adjustments that can put a person on track to the CEO job, or not. Done any tweaking lately?