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Distinguishing Star Performers

June 28, 1999

"What separates star performers on your team - those who are consistently more productive and always meet or beat deadlines - from average performers?  Is it personality?  Is it brainpower or a higher IQ?  It's none of the above, says Robert Kelley, a corporate consultant who teaches management courses at Carnegie Mellon University's Graduate School of Industrial Administration in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Instead it's the way stars do their work and the way they work with others, he explains.

Individual Performance

Star Performers consistently:
*Produce higher-quality work on time and on budget.
*Delight their customers.
*Identify and quickly solve small problems without always asking
 for help from their supervisors.
*Keep their supervisors informed about all major issues.
*Work effectively with other departments in the company.
*Focus on what the competition is doing and strive to surpass them.
*Understand management decisions and the reasoning behind them.

Team Performance

In a team environment, the stars are those team members who are constantly striving to make the team more productive and efficient.  Once on a team, Kelley says stars:
* Make sure the team focuses on its purpose.  "Stars seek solid agreement up front from other members so that the team doesn't spin its wheels," he says.
* Help the team get the job done.  They make sure that all team members are involved by recommending the parceling out of work and care continuously taking on additional assignments from an overburdened teammate, Kelley says.
* Pay attention to teammates and contribute to group dynamics.  They make sure all members 'buy in' to the effort and that disagreements don't interfere with the team's purpose and goals.

'Star performers may or may not be the team leaders, but they do work to exert a positive influence over other members.  My experience is that most team leaders and supervisors are happy to have their input and leadership skills,' Kelley says.

There are no magic formulas for becoming a star.  Going to school won't get the job done.  In stead, you must teach yourself or learn from others.  But once you do, you will become a powerhouse - making you a more valuable addition to your team, your department, and your company (Teamwork, July 1998, p.1)."

Reference:  Staff. (1998, July 6). Distinguishing Star Performers.  Teamwork:  Your Personal Guide to Working Successfully with People, p. 1.

Are you a star performer?

*  Teamwork:  Your Personal Guide to Working Successfully with People is available on loan at the OSU Leadership Center.  A listing of all the Leadership Center's resources is available on our website www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~leaders

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Created: 2009-01-06, Updated: 2009-01-18