Hello and welcome to Tricky Management Situations !

Onirio delves, just for you, into all those delicate, sometimes seemingly improbable (but oh-so-real!) challenges that the world of management throws our way. In each episode, you'll find tips to gain some perspective and expertly navigate through your tricky managerial situations

On today's agenda, a subject that soccer managers know (all too) well: superstar management.

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🛶Today's struggle: How do you manage a superstar without demotivating them and losing the rest of the team?

You have a rare gem in your team: a superstar. This individual is brilliant, proactive, and seems to have a solution to every situation long before others even realize there's a problem! Sounds like a dream, right? But, with diva-like behaviors, palpable tensions, and envious glances from the rest of the team, the dream can sometimes turn into a nightmare. 🤯

So, what's to be done?

⛔ Mind the mistakes!

Whether you're a professional sports team coach (NBA, football…) or a corporate manager, the pitfalls are many:

1️⃣ One (Wo)man Show

Entrusting all responsibilities to the superstar, hoping they'll lead the team to success. The result? The star burns out, and the rest of the team loses autonomy and initiative-taking capabilities.

2️⃣ Overdependence

What happens if the team's performance relies on a single star? Sooner or later, they'll leave. And you will have to rebuilt everything...

3️⃣ Special Treatment

Granting the superstar privileges you wouldn't give to the rest of the team - flexibility in working hours, choice of role, etc. After that, good luck maintaining team discipline and morale! 😉

4️⃣ Oversized ego

What if your superstar becomes a diva? Exhibiting "lovely" behaviors like refusing to handle menial (yet essential) tasks, denigrating others' work, rejecting any feedback... The impacts on team performance can be disastrous.

5️⃣ Bore-Out

Some managers might ask their superstar to... slow down! "You're moving much faster than everyone else; take your time, or they might expect even more from us!" Your gem might soon experience bore-out, feeling profoundly bored and/or underutilizing their skills.

💡 A few principles to get you through!

⚖️ Fairness first!

Fairness is a priority for a productive and harmonious work environment.

Be careful not to confuse fairness with equality! Not everyone has the same responsibilities, the same objectives, or end-of-year bonuses.

Being fair in your decisions means:

Being clear about general rules (working hours, teleworking rules, team meeting attendance...) and about possible exceptions - NO, granting more remote work days to someone just because you like them or trust them is not a valid reason...
Being transparent about team roles and responsibilities, and explaining the rationale behind your organizational choices.
Being both educational and assertive when explaining the rationale behind individual objectives, promotion decisions or raise.

As is often the case in management, transparent communication is the key.

🤝 Cooperation and mentorship

In a team, collective performance is far more important than individual success. Look at sports teams that win major championships. Those that truly play as a team often outshine unbalanced teams filled with shining individuals.

As a manager, it's your challenge to foster teamwork and collective growth:

Encourage pair work to develop versatility and mutual support
Establish mentorship systems, allowing the more experienced to guide their colleagues..
Organize feedback sessions, letting your top performers share their insights

Lastly, ensure everyone takes part in handling the less glamorous tasks - yes, there are some in every business!

Who knows, your superstar might even come up with ideas to automate these unpleasant tasks 🙂

👌 Controlling egos

Despite your best efforts, tensions may arise within the team:

Critiques on colleagues' work or skills
Team members feeling underappreciated for their talents
Jealousies that lead to rumors of favoritism...

There's only one thing to do: demonstrate managerial courage!

In practical terms, this means addressing issues quickly and firmly to defuse tensions... and deflate egos

For inspiration, episode #7 of Tricky Management Situations covers how to deal with someone who has an oversized ego...

A fundamental tool to master when dealing with these situations: Non-Violent Communication (NVC)! For an example of applied NVC, take a look at episode #4 "Telling a coworker he talks too much".

🏅 Valuing and developing the whole team

Recognition andcontinuous learning are essential for all team members. Even if one delivers exceptional results, others also have recognition needs and the desire to grow. In group settings, avoid "overpraising" your superstar's achievements, emphasizing the team as a collective instead.

However, individually, make time to value and guide every team member!

Two fundamental managerial tools for this:

Engaging all recognition levers: recognizing the individual, their skills, their efforts, and results. Want to learn more? Readepisode #5 Recognizing your team's work when you have no say over their salaries
Regular feedback: Practice it liberally and artfully, highlighting progress, celebrating successes, and addressing areas of improvement.

With your superstar, be demanding in identifying areas for growth, even if they're already doing an exceptional job! Especially, work quickly with them to identify future prospects and support their ambitions.

In conclusion

Having a superstar on your team is a real asset!

You might not retain them for long, as they'll likely progress quickly. But ensure they learn alongside you and that the entire team grows from their presence!

À for the next episode!

In each episode, Onirio explores a managerial situation and gives you advice on how to take a step back and adopt the right reflexes!

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Have you experienced managerial difficulties? Inspire us!

We're sure you've been in plenty of situations that would merit an article 😉. And we're always looking for inspiration for our next episodes. So drop us a line with a description of your troubles! We'll be delighted to explore your situations!

Episode #14 - Managing a superstar without demotivating the entire team