The Lone Star Myth
In today’s uncertain economy, finding star talent may be getting easier. But before investing in a marquee player at he expense of the rest of your team, consider this: Stars
shine brighter when surrounded by other stars. High-quality
colleagues bring four important things to the table.
Creating Knowledge. In today’s complex world, even star
performers can’t master all the levels of expertise needed to be
good at their jobs. That’s why expert colleagues from other
parts of the organization are crucial as sources of information.
Providing Feedback. High-quality colleagues can be the
most astute and valuable sounding boards and critics of a
star’s work.
Delivering Products and Services to Clients. Star performers often rely on colleagues to position and deliver their
product or service to clients. If their colleagues can’t do that
effectively, it won’t matter how wonderful a star’s work is—
it will be for naught.
Enhancing Reputations. High-performing colleagues can
help a star’s reputation shine even brighter because clients tend
to think more highly of people who work for organizations
with a track record of excellent
work. This is referred to as the
“halo effect.” In addition to
keeping clients happy, the halo
effect can benefit stars by creating greater access to resources
outside the organization.
The bottom line is the more
stars you have on your team,
the better they will perform
and the more likely they are
to stick around. Stars who
don’t play well with others will
not benefit you in the long
run. Make sure you have top
people in different functions throughout the department, not
clustered in a single function. Above all, create a work culture
that encourages teamwork and cooperation.
© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
The Wall Street Journal, March 23, 2009
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