STAR BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING!

THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING

By Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra

You keep saying, you got something for me
Something you call love but confess
You've been messin' where you shouldn't have been messin'
And now someone else is getting all your best

These boots are made for walking
And that's just what they'll do
One of these days these boots
Are gonna walk all over you

Yeah, you keep lyin' when you oughta be truthin'
And you keep losing when you oughta not bet
You keep samin' when you oughta be changin'
Now, what's right is right but you ain't been right yet

These boots are made for walking
And that's just what they'll do
One of these days these boots
Are gonna walk all over you

You keep playin' where you shouldn't be playin'
And you keep thinkin' that you'll never get burnt
Ah, I've just found me a brand new box of matches, yeah
And what he knows you ain't had time to learn

These boots are made for walking
And that's just what they'll do
One of these days these boots
Are gonna walk all over you

Are you ready, boots?
Start walking

By Jack and Suzy Welch


How far should you go to keep a star performer who has an offer to work at a competitor? It's a question every leader has to face into. After all, the team with the best players wins and the care and feeding of top performers has more to do with a company’s success than virtually any other factor.

But our answer is, you shouldn't go as far as you’re probably considering, given the panic mode most managers enter when a star threatens to shoot out the door. Under normal circumstances, to keep stars happy, you just need to give them what they crave: outsize compensation; effusive recognition; enjoyable, challenging work; and the feeling that they’re not being micro-managed. All that changes in a split second, however, when a star asks to see you, closes your office door, and says: “I’ve gotten an offer I think I just can’t refuse.”

Your first instinct will be to match the offer financially. Usually, though, that won’t be enough. The competitor luring your star has been smart enough to make the deal richer in other ways with, say, more job responsibility or a bigger title. You can match those, too. And that’s where the trouble starts. Because promoting stars just to keep them can incite a little riot, especially if the promotion is over people who feel they deserve the same kind of treatment but just haven’t threatened to leave.

Before you know it, other stars will be insulted by your accommodation, and even some midrange performers will feel resentful. And at the end, the only contented person left in the place might be your overperformer, who has decided to stay, now feeling more indispensable than ever.

Sounds deadly? It is. Which is why we would recommend another, more proactive approach. During normal times, make the management of your stars a top priority. Never take them for granted, and be sure all of your managers do the same by making star retention a key measure of performance.

But at the same time, remember that stars sometimes leave for the simple reason that they have outgrown the opportunities at a company. By consistently overdelivering, they have earned the chance to reach for horizons beyond what you can offer them over the long haul. And because of that reality, you must always be prepared to fill the wing tips of any key person who departs, no matter what the size of the business. That’s the beauty of a rigorous human resource program, with frequent reviews, consistent coaching, and backup planning for every key position that can readily answer the question: “Who replaces George or Carol if they leave?”

Such backup planning, by the way, must happen at least annually and can never become a rote, fill-in-the-blanks exercise. Instead, it must be conducted with the gritty intensity of a war game. Only then will your organization be able to replace a departing star within eight hours—yes, eight. Only then will your organization be able to send the important message that no star is bigger than the organization.

Now, we realize it is natural to fight for a star, especially since a competitor is involved. But experience also tells us that once a top performer gets the bug to leave, heroic rescue efforts are of limited use. You can come up with a fancy title, add an awful extra layer, and in the short term persuade someone to stay.

But when people go, and they usually do in time, you’re left with a cobbled-up org chart and a bunch of confused employees. Better to keep your house in order and send your star off with good wishes. If you’ve done your job, another star will soon be born.

This post contains a powerful message. It's time this message went viral. Basil Venitis, venitis@gmail.com, http://themostsearched.blogspot.com, @Venitis