Fine Tuned Possibilities: Supporting Top Achievers

May 30, 2023

Company Culture

As a leader, you want to help your team members excel and achieve their full potential. But how do you do that when working with highly talented people with unique needs, expectations, and goals above the average employee?

In this article, we will share some advanced techniques for coaching and motivating highly talented people based on our experience as a management consulting company that helps organisations develop their human capital.

Who are highly talented people?

Highly talented people have exceptional abilities, skills, or knowledge in one or more domains. They are often creative, innovative, and passionate about their work. They may also have lofty standards, strong ambitions, and a desire to learn and grow.

However, they face unique challenges affecting their performance and satisfaction.

For example, they may:

• Feel bored or unchallenged by their current tasks.
• Experience frustration or conflict with their peers or managers who do not share their vision or values.
• Struggle with self-doubt, perfectionism, or impostor syndrome
• Need help balancing their work and personal life.
• Feel isolated or misunderstood by others.

As a leader, you must know these challenges and provide the support and guidance to help your talented team members overcome and thrive.

How to coach highly talented people?

Coaching is helping someone improve their performance and achieve their goals through feedback, dialogue, and encouragement. Coaching is especially important for highly talented people, as they often have elevated expectations of themselves and others and may benefit from an external perspective and validation.

Here are some coaching tips:

Set clear and challenging goals:

Offer a clear direction and purpose for their work. They commonly need to feel challenged and stimulated by their tasks and projects. As a leader, help them set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals that align with their strengths, interests, and aspirations. You should also monitor their progress and provide regular feedback on their performance.

Ask open-ended questions:

Highly talented people are usually self-motivated and independent learners. They do not need you to tell them what to do or how to do it. Instead, they need you to ask them open-ended questions that help them reflect on their thinking and actions and discover new insights and solutions.

For example, you can ask them:

• What are you working on right now?
• What are the challenges or difficulties you are facing?
• How do you approach or solve these challenges?
• What are the results or outcomes you are expecting or hoping for?
• How do you measure your success or progress?
• What feedback or suggestions have you received or would like to receive?
• What areas or skills would you like to improve or develop further?
• What are the resources or support you need or can access?

Listen actively and empathetically:

They must feel heard and understood by their leaders. They need to feel respected and valued for their contributions and opinions. As a leader, listen actively and empathetically to what they say without interrupting, judging, or imposing your views. Acknowledge their feelings and emotions and express your appreciation and recognition for their work.

Provide constructive feedback:

Constructive feedback helps talented people improve their performance and achieve their goals. Positive feedback reinforces their strengths and achievements. Therefore, provide specific, timely, balanced, and actionable feedback as a manager. Avoid comparing them with others or rebuking them.

Encourage experimentation and learning:

Highly talented people need opportunities to experiment with innovative ideas, methods, or tools. They also need opportunities to learn from their successes and failures. As a Leader, encourage them to try new things, take risks and make mistakes. You should also help them learn from their experiences by asking them what worked well, what did not, what they learned and what they would do differently next time.

Offer ongoing development opportunities:

Feed their desire to improve and grow in their fields. As a leader, provide resources, training, mentorship, and networking opportunities to help them develop their skills and advance their careers. Encourage them to pursue professional certifications, attend conferences, workshops, or seminars, and join industry associations or communities. By supporting their continuous development, you will keep them motivated and engaged and ensure they stay at the forefront of their expertise, making them even more valuable contributors to your organisation.

Recognise and reward their efforts:

Acknowledge their successes privately and publicly and give them appropriate tips, such as monetary incentives, promotions, or other growth opportunities. Doing so will reinforce their commitment to excellence and foster loyalty to your organisation.

Maintain a work-life balance:

Help your highly talented people avoid burnout or stress by maintaining a healthy work-life balance. As a leader, you can prioritise their well-being and encourage them to take breaks, vacations, or mental health days when needed. You should also model a healthy work-life balance and create policies that support flexible working hours, remote work, or other accommodations to help them manage their personal and professional obligations.

When coaching gifted individuals, it’s essential to have specific strategies to address their unique needs, hurdles, and ambitions.

Start by setting clear objectives, encouraging open dialogue, giving constructive feedback, providing growth opportunities, and creating a supportive work environment. Additionally, pay attention to their verbal and non-verbal feedback, treat them with empathy and respect, and acknowledge their accomplishments.

By following these steps, you can build a high-performing team that not only meets your organisation’s goals but also enhances the professional lives of its members.