Leading Performers & Staying Out of Trees

“I quit—I am going to climb trees and eat squirrels!”

I had never heard anything more ludicrous than when my number two employee said that to me as they threatened to leave the building. (Okay, it was my 9-year-old son.) My second thought, after nearly laughing, was, “What have I done to get us to this point?”

What I had done was be accidental with this incredibly valuable team member. I hadn’t provided enough check-ins or touch points, I hadn’t clarified this person’s priorities, and I hadn’t reminded him of the core values we hold.

These simple but intentional acts are the difference between having an engaged team member who is aligned with the mission and having one who is ready to walk out of the building to play Tarzan.

Time for a Self Assessment

As leaders, we are often good at doing our own jobs and performing well ourselves. Because of that, we can assume the people around us are just as clear on the outcomes as we are.

As a quick test, rate yourself right now from 1–10 on how well you are performing as a leader. A “10” is equivalent to a total rock star hitting every metric, predicting every revenue goal, and following up on all the important tasks. Of the hundreds of leaders I have asked, most rate themselves a humble “7 out of 10.”

Now point that same rating scale at this question: “How well am I leading performers?” I have found that most leaders, even very talented leaders, choose a number a few points lower than their first number. In this moment of realization, we know we need to be more intentional with our performers in three areas: aligning them with priorities and values, reminding them consistently of the business they are in, and knowing them as people.

How to Lead and Engage Our Top Performers

Increasing these scores is hard work because it is difficult to be intentional with others all the time. It can feel like keeping track of your people could become a full-time job.

I have found that doing these three things weekly keeps a team member engaged—and out of trees.

1. Have regularly scheduled meetings with team members.
   Ask them how they are doing in life, both at work and at home. “Isn’t that being too personal?” you may ask. No, it is not. Ask them about their kids, their spouse, their mom or dad, or their French Bulldog. Maybe you do not personally care about the dog, but you have picked up the clues from the pictures around their workspace that they are a #dogdad or #dogmom4life, and that #frenchiesarefirst. Asking about the whole person gives you clues about what is happening in their life, and none of us can completely separate work from the rest of life. This may open a can of worms, and eventually you may tell them about your own weird hobby, such as collecting 1980s polka records. All of this is life.
2. ‍2Ask them what important things they need to be working on in this season.
   This helps them unclutter their priorities and allows you to help them align with the top priority and understand how their contributions matter. We do not need to be told as often as we need to be reminded, according to Samuel Johnson. This weekly reminder is a great alignment point because life gets crazy and we become uncalibrated.
3. ‍3Ask them where they are feeling success within the organization or team.
   This helps you know how they are aligning with the core values of your team. Core values are important because they remind people how you would like them to behave and make decisions in your absence. They become the standard for performance. If the alignment is off-kilter, you can collaborate and help bring it back. If the alignment is on point, you get to celebrate that success with them.

Using weekly check-ins with your team members and working through these three areas will keep turnover to a minimum. Weekly check-ins where you learn more about team members, help them sort through their highest priorities, and remind them of the core values—and how to make decisions in your absence—can reduce the number of team members who would rather climb trees and eat squirrels.