Director of Learning and Development at Brown & Brown

Heather Torres

Recently I read an industry blog on overachieving vs. high-performing salespeople. It was a great reminder that we often overlook the significant difference between the two, and in many cases, we reward negative behavior.

All companies in any industry need industrious action-oriented teammates who do the job in each role, not just sales. However, successful organizations look for and reward high-performing individuals, not over-achievers.

What’s the difference? An over-achiever needs to be busy. They do everything, even if they shouldn’t. Just ask them; they are so focused on their task that they can lose sight of key metrics and move the needle forward because they’ve spread themselves so thin, seeking new ways to be busy. Whereas a high performer invests in growth and studying their craft. They aren’t busy just to be busy; instead, they dig into key areas and get results from their strategic efforts. They always seek new learning opportunities and ways to grow personally and professionally. In short, they are driving the growth of themselves and your organization.

How can organizations increase the number of high performers within their ranks? Hire someone with a high-performance mindset. During the interview, look for how they think and dig into their work. How did they overcome an obstacle? What event did they learn from, and what do they know? How did they develop a particular skill? What are they hoping to learn in this role? They may not have the skills in your industry, but those can be taught. If anyone will learn them quickly, it’s a high performer! Always hire for mindset over skill.

" Ensure your leaders understand the difference between the work product of an over-achiever and a high performer."

Next, build your onboarding and Learning & Development programs to effectively get teammates up to speed on the skillsets you need. Think through your industry from the ground up. What does someone starting fresh out of college with no job experience need to know? What industry knowledge do they need? What general skills do they need, such as organization and time management? What role-specific skills do they need? Building a learning and development program with this mindset helps ensure that anyone coming into your company with very little or zero experience or someone from an adjacent field with knowledge gaps can get up to speed quickly. Then, offer ongoing opportunities for them to learn new things and grow throughout their career, such as the tools and support they need to get out of the way and let them dig in.

It's important to ensure leadership understands how to work with high performers. If leaders spend their time rewarding “busy-ness” over results, your high performers may lose focus or desire. Ensure your leaders understand the difference between the work product of an over-achiever and a high performer.

Help your leaders find what motivates their high performers. While all people are motivated differently, generally speaking, high performers are internally motivated and may appear they don’t need rewards or motivation. This is not the case! Everyone wants to be recognized, validated, and feel valued. However, the way that looks can be different from person to person. One person may wish for on-stage accolades and fanfare, while another may be more motivated by a simple note of appreciation sent to their loved ones stating how hard and valued they work. The key is to get to know the individual and meet their specific style and needs.

With ongoing learning and development opportunities plus appropriate recognition, all your teammates should grow and develop. However, your high-performing teammates will flourish and grow even faster. Be prepared to help guide them and show how they can grow within your organization so that you can benefit from their dedication for many years to come.

While over-achievers get a lot done during the day, their actions won’t move your business forward. On the other-hand high performers focus on and sharpen skills in areas that move the needle forward for the customer, for themselves, and ultimately for your organization. Look for indicators of this mindset and help them develop the skills they need for your specific industry. This will help both them and your organization stretch to the next level.