CHAPTER 16
Responding to the Steady Worker
Capable, solid employees rarely make waves. They get their jobs done well with little fanfare or oversight. They neither cause problems that require managerial intervention nor actively pursue the opportunity to take on more responsibility or expand their roles. In fact, these B players tend to make the fewest demands on your time, despite making up 80% of your workforce.
Because these employees may not be eager to advance in the organization or require immediate improvement, performance management for these solid B players can be confounding. Although they don’t actively demand your attention, they still deserve your efforts to recognize and develop them. How can you best support your solid contributors and help them grow? It depends on what’s driving them.
Who Are Your B Players?
B players tend to be reserved and averse to calling attention to themselves, even when they need to. “They are like the proverbial wheel that never squeaks—and, consequently, gets no grease,” write Thomas J. DeLong and Vineeta Vijayaraghavan in their HBR article “Let’s Hear It for B Players.” Such reserve is alien to many A players, the lead singers and guitarists eager to solo, while B player drummers and bassists keep the band on beat. These steady contributors can work well on a team without feeling the need to stand out.
There are many reasons why these individuals choose to fly under the radar. Some B players are reformed A players who rejected the pressures of the “A” way of life. They place a high premium on work-life balance and are more interested in their day-to-day work than in their long-term careers. If they enjoy their work, they have no desire to be promoted from their roles. Others may have temporarily scaled back their ambitions to spend time with their young families or wish to devote time to meaningful pursuits and hobbies outside the workplace as they approach retirement age. Some solid performers are simply more risk averse and less entrepreneurial than their ambitious counterparts. Still others may be newly improved former C players.
B players tend to be loyal to organizations, shifting jobs less often and sticking around longer than A players. Responsible and service oriented, they bring increasing depth and stability to their work over time and accumulate valuable institutional memory. B players can quietly become go-to people thanks to their extensive organizational smarts. With strong networks and interpersonal connections, they know how to get things done.
Considering this expertise, these solid workers tend to be the backbone of many organizations. B players, like everyone else, need nurturing and recognition. Without encouragement, they can fall into the trap of seeing themselves as C players—or feel they’re being taken for granted. Without some level of affirmation, they may lose their motivation and enthusiasm for their work.
No category is permanent, however. Your employee may be a solid worker at the moment, but in a year or two they could well be a rising star—or a struggling under performer. It’s important to make an explicit effort to acknowledge and foster their dedicated talent without pushing them in a direction they don’t want to go. To retain them, you’ll need to develop them in ways that best suit their competencies, potential, and desires.
Supporting Your Steady Workers
Managers don’t always consider what they need to do to retain a good performer who demonstrates no interest in being promoted to management. Typically, management will ignore or overlook valuable B players until they get fed up and leave—or become C players.
While they may not want to stretch like their more ambitious peers, neither do they want to stagnate. To develop and motivate your solid contributors, begin the same way you would with your stars: Learn about their passions and interests, deepest work values, and strongest skills.
Understand B-player priorities, and offer growth
Psychological studies suggest we’re tougher on people who differ from us than on those we identify with. Differences in ambition are a matter of temperament, a complex blend of motivation, personality, and intellect. Some managers are highly motivated, ambitious A players who may need to make a conscious effort not to undervalue B players who have different priorities. After all, some people produce solid work and prioritize getting home to family at the end of the day rather than focus on authority, influence, or power.
It’s important to ask all your employees what they want from their careers, particularly when dealing with promising contributors you may feel tempted to push into new, more challenging positions. For some employees, lateral movements may be more attractive than upward promotion, and still others may not be interested in a change at all. Confirming what individuals really want out of their role in the organization can keep you from being disappointed if their ambitions don’t match your plan for them. It’s better to know the details of how they see their careers than to attempt to mentor an ambivalent protégé who, no matter what you do, won’t be driven to pursue the same aspirations you hold dear. Some B players have reached the ceiling of their abilities, while others have made a conscious choice to stay in their current position.
Don’t force an unwilling or uninterested B player to the A level, but do offer them opportunities to continue to learn, grow, and improve their skills. Stretch assignments, for example, can be invigorating opportunities to challenge your employees to acquire new skills, but choose such assignments carefully so you don’t overwhelm them. Look for ways to make their jobs more interesting without burdening them with unwanted new responsibilities. Perhaps they’d appreciate training to bolster their strengths or the chance to attend a conference or seminar on a topic that excites them. Provide them with opportunities to grow within their comfort zone.
Your employee’s priorities may change over time as well. If at first they tell you that they’d like to stay in their current role, check in periodically to find out if they’ve changed their mind, and if so, adjust their development plan accordingly.
Recognize and reward them
Strong and capable contributors can feel alienated or frustrated by a lack of attention, even if they don’t seek out the spotlight. Track the frequency of your interactions with each of your direct reports. A players are rarely shy about asking for your time or stopping by to talk with you, but B players may be less likely to initiate contact. Make a point of regularly meeting with all of your employees, including the ones who never ask for it.
Acknowledge and praise B players’ good work, and provide frequent affirmation. Recognition is especially important to workers who aren’t gunning for a promotion. They neither expect nor receive the same financial rewards or promotions as A players, but they still crave acknowledgment of their very real contributions to the organization and want to feel appreciated and motivated. Tell them on a regular basis that they are valued, and tailor your praise to how each individual prefers to receive it. Some people appreciate public accolades, while others would prefer a simple handwritten note or a one-on-one conversation in which you thank them for their good work.
You can also show how much you trust and value your steady contributors by listening carefully to any ideas or suggestions they provide. Respond thoughtfully and respectfully. Show you recognize their contribution by giving them credit for any suggestions you act on, and demonstrate your trust by letting them be autonomous and make decisions appropriate for their skill level. You can also tap your capable contributors to mentor junior employees, demonstrating your trust in their knowledge and expertise.
All employees, not just stars, should be given opportunities for coaching, development, and—if they’re interested—promotion, whether upward or lateral. Don’t let your solid performers get lost in the crowd.