For Security’s Sake, Please Manage Your Alpha Extroverts
- By Stefan Hammond
- September 28, 2022
In a previous article, we learned that introverts in the workplace are valued employees with special circumstances. And extroverts have their own needs, quirks, and how-to-manage strategies.
But how to manage an “alpha extrovert”? A superstar?
Human resources departments have their strategies. But it's essential for everyone working with teams to understand the pros and cons of star employees.
The star of your show
Many companies boast star employees: noted extroverts who go above and beyond daily. Known sports figures project fame at a level that exemplifies a brand or brands: Michael Jordan or Serena Williams, for example.
Often the show's star is seen in the context of an industry rather than a specific firm. Industry insiders may equate the individual with the companies they represent. Think of Tim Cook, Jim Goodnight, or Larry Ellison.
These luminaries are rightly regarded as tremendous assets. But in any given situation, do HR professionals prefer a star employee or a team player?
Skill-sets
A star employee typically performs at an extremely high level across the board. Their skills include technical and professional expertise, and their personality is typically extroverted.
One way to parse the value of such employees: The Pareto Principle. Wikipedia says this principle “states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes". This is often referred to as the 80/20 rule.
Understand the pros and cons of star employees
You can look at it this way: the top 20% of your workforce might account for 80% of your organization's output. This isn't true of all industries, but it's a helpful estimate in the field of knowledge work.
Can developers be stars?
Remember those star employees typically perform across the board — including people skills, communication abilities, and understanding/promoting a company's business culture. We know that developers are often shy and prefer to shun the limelight.
As such, they may not exemplify the “star quality” that many think defines the nature of a superstar employee. But let's consider some of the “soft skills” many workers possess.
Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi is widely considered one of the best to play the game, and he's won multiple individual awards. Yet, according to Wikipedia, “Beyond his individual qualities, he is also a well-rounded, hard-working team player, known for his creative combinations, in particular with former Barcelona midfielders Xavi (Xavier Hernández) and Andrés Iniesta.”
Your average football fan certainly appreciates Messi's superstardom but may not be familiar with the Barcelona midfielders who assisted the Argentinian in his endeavors. But team play is essential to football — just as it is to a company's workforce.
HIPOs have great potential but often, the baggage of an only-child or a prima donna
That's why the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) created a footballing award: the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker. Since 2006 it's been given annually to the best playmaker of the year — as chosen by the organization.
So it is with co-workers. Your employees need to know that even if they don't aspire to the level of Lionel Messi, playing at the level of Xavi or Iniesta is equally essential.
This is especially important in the world of developers, where teamwork is prized. And if your employees are shy, describing success as a team effort helps reduce focus on individuals.
Only-child and prima donnas
An only-child is “a person with no siblings, by birth or adoption.” There are diverging opinions on whether only-children are more socially skilled.
But many report that only-children are more capable at adult tasks than those who grew up with siblings. And “only-child” syndrome is sometimes used to describe individuals who may excel but are also considered prima donnas who consider themselves the main character by default in any given situation.
In Italian opera, a prima donna is the leading female singer in the company and the person to whom the prime roles would be given, says Wikipedia. In contemporary usage, the term refers to “anyone behaving in a demanding or temperamental fashion or having an inflated view of oneself and a self-centered attitude.”
While such traits may indicate concerns, they might also indicate a HIPO: a high-potential employee.
Managing HIPOs
Research firm Gartner defines a high-potential employee (HIPO) as someone with the ability, engagement, and aspiration to succeed in more senior, critical positions.
HIPOs have great potential but often the baggage of an only-child or a prima donna. They're the workforce equivalent of a German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois police dog: they can reward greatly, but only with attention and training.
Whatever profile you find exhibited by any of your employees, consider applying some simple job design principles to their duties, as the design of an employee's job can significantly affect their job motivation.
Designing jobs creates challenging and interesting tasks and is effective and efficient for getting the job done. Here are three approaches:
- Job Enlargement: This job design approach aims to combine tasks to give the employee a greater variety of work.
- Job Rotation: This job design approach aims to move workers to different tasks periodically.
- Job Enrichment: The key to job design employee motivation; this approach aims to enhance the actual job by building up the employee through motivational factors.
Every firm has its star employees: value them, and realize they require special care and feeding.
This article is the seventh in a series on effective collaboration techniques for cybersecurity.
Stefan Hammond is a contributing editor to CDOTrends. Best practices, the IoT, payment gateways, robotics, and the ongoing battle against cyberpirates pique his interest. You can reach him at [email protected].
Image credit: iStockphoto/Khosrork