How to manage the star of your project team

Every business, department, or team has a star performer, or several. This is an individual that has a habit of delivering results and exceeding targets. Of course, these are the type of people that you want to hold onto, and you want to ensure that they continue to excel for the good of the project. This is why you need to manage them effectively. Read on to discover some top tips.

Be mindful of group dynamics – While star performers deliver exceptional results, they can also create team tension, which is why it is so important to be mindful of group dynamics. There are a number of ways tension can arise. In some cases, their peers are jealous of their abilities, and so they treat the star performer different to everyone else on the team, causing them to feel isolated in the workplace. In other instances, the superstar expects other team members to offer performance levels that are equal to theirs. This is why it is vital to ensure that you never play favourites. If tension is spilling over into the workplace, talk to all of your team members about it, and ensure that everyone is treating each other appropriately. One-on-one conversations can really help.

Manage workload – As a project manager, one of your key roles is to ensure that the project workload is divided fairly. While it can be tempting to give as much work as possible to your star performers, you need to be mindful of overworking them, as this can lead to a burnout. The workload needs to be reasonable for everyone.

Don’t go overboard with praise – In most cases, star performers actually need more reassurance and praise than the average employee. However, it is vital to ensure you do not get in the habit of feeding their ego. If they have made a stellar presentation or executed a task well, let them know, but avoid going overboard. You need to encourage the individual to learn to monitor him or herself.

Offer autonomy and don’t micromanage – Another way to keep star performers excited and engaged is to give them more autonomy. By delegating authority and responsibility over certain tasks, you demonstrate trust. Also, it is important to avoid micromanaging. Allow the individual to work in a manner that suits them best.

Consider project management training – Last but not least, if you are really struggling to manage the balance of your project team, the best thing to do is take a project management training course. There are many project management courses today, and most of them focus on communication and leadership. They will provide you with some tricks and techniques to use to ensure the balance of your team is right and that everyone feels valued.

All in all, it is important to keep a hold of your star performers, and to keep them engaged and motivated. Use the tips mentioned above, such as managing workloads effectively and watching out for group dynamics, and you can keep your entire team happy.

The author has written and published articles on a wide range of topics including Small Business Advice, Tax and Accounting, Interior Design, House Renovation and Project Management.