The ongoing debate about managing high-performing tech professionals has revealed a significant disconnect between conventional management wisdom and the realities of the modern workplace. While companies consistently seek to optimize their top talent's output, the tech community's response highlights deeper complexities in the relationship between high performers and their management.
The Myth of Traditional Management
Traditional management approaches often fall short when dealing with high performers. The community discussion reveals that many managers mistakenly apply conventional management techniques to exceptional talent, leading to frustration on both sides. High performers typically need less direct management and more organizational support, with many expressing that the best managers act as blockers of bureaucracy rather than direct supervisors.
Compensation and Recognition
One of the most prominent themes emerging from the discussion is the critical importance of fair compensation. Many high performers are significantly underpaid relative to their value creation, leading to frustration and eventual departure. As one community member pointedly observed:
Nearly every job that exists gets paid a whole lot less than they make for the company, sometimes millions less per year.
The Real Role of Management
The community strongly advocates for a different management approach focused on removing obstacles and providing necessary resources rather than traditional coaching. Successful management of high performers involves creating an environment where they can thrive, which includes protecting them from excessive meetings, bureaucratic overhead, and misaligned organizational demands.
Key Management Approaches for High Performers:
- Remove organizational blockers
- Ensure fair compensation
- Protect from bureaucratic overhead
- Maintain sustainable workload
- Enable autonomy
- Provide necessary resources
The Corporate Structure Dilemma
Large organizations, particularly in tech, face a unique challenge with high performers. The discussion reveals that many corporate structures actually discourage true high performance, instead favoring predictable, steady output. This creates a tension between innovation and standardization, often leading to the departure of exceptional talent who feel constrained by organizational boundaries.
Work-Life Balance and Sustainability
A critical insight from the community is the importance of sustainable performance. Many managers make the mistake of constantly pushing for more output, leading to burnout among their best performers. The discussion emphasizes the need for managers to help maintain balance and protect their high performers from overextension, rather than simply extracting maximum short-term value.
The tech community's response demonstrates that managing high performers requires a fundamental rethinking of traditional management approaches. Success lies not in more intensive management, but in creating an environment that enables autonomy, provides fair compensation, and protects against organizational friction. As organizations continue to compete for top talent, understanding and implementing these insights becomes increasingly crucial for long-term success.
Source Citations: Manage High Performers: A Coach's Guide