By Jack and Suzy Welch
How far should you go to keep a star performer who has an
offer to work at a competitor? It's a question every leader has to face into.
After all, the team with the best players wins and the care and feeding of top
performers has more to do with a company’s success than virtually any other
factor.
But our answer is, you shouldn't go as far as you’re probably
considering, given the panic mode most managers enter when a star threatens to
shoot out the door. Under normal circumstances, to keep stars happy, you just
need to give them what they crave: outsize compensation; effusive recognition;
enjoyable, challenging work; and the feeling that they’re not being
micro-managed. All that changes in a split second, however, when a star asks to
see you, closes your office door, and says: “I’ve gotten an offer I think I
just can’t refuse.”
Your first instinct will be to match the offer financially.
Usually, though, that won’t be enough. The competitor luring your star has been
smart enough to make the deal richer in other ways with, say, more job
responsibility or a bigger title. You can match those, too. And that’s where
the trouble starts. Because promoting stars just to keep them can incite a
little riot, especially if the promotion is over people who feel they deserve
the same kind of treatment but just haven’t threatened to leave.
Before you know it, other stars will be insulted by your
accommodation, and even some mid-range performers will feel resentful. And at
the end, the only contented person left in the place might be your over performer,
who has decided to stay, now feeling more indispensable than ever.
Sounds deadly? It is. Which is why we would recommend
another, more proactive approach? During normal times, make the management of
your stars a top priority. Never take them for granted, and be sure all of your
managers do the same by making star retention a key measure of performance.
But at the same time, remember that stars sometimes leave for
the simple reason that they have outgrown the opportunities at a company. By
consistently over delivering, they have earned the chance to reach for horizons
beyond what you can offer them over the long haul. And because of that reality,
you must always be prepared to fill the wing tips of any key person who
departs, no matter what the size of the business. That’s the beauty of a rigorous
human resource program, with frequent reviews, consistent coaching, and backup
planning for every key position that can readily answer the question: “Who
replaces George or Carol if they leave?”
Such backup planning, by the way, must happen at least annually
and can never become a rote, fill-in-the-blanks exercise. Instead, it must be
conducted with the gritty intensity of a war game. Only then will your
organization be able to replace a departing star within eight hours—yes, eight.
Only then will your organization be able to send the important message that no
star is bigger than the organization.
Now, we realize it is natural to fight for a star, especially
since a competitor is involved. But experience also tells us that once a top
performer gets the bug to leave, heroic rescue efforts are of limited use. You
can come up with a fancy title, add an awful extra layer, and in the short term
persuade someone to stay.
But when people go, and they usually do in time, you’re left
with a cobbled-up org chart and a bunch of confused employees. Better to keep
your house in order and send your star off with good wishes. If you’ve done
your job, another star will soon be born.
Courtesy: Business Week Magazine
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