The premise of this post on the Tech Republic blog is that if an employee is "too good" it can end up hurting both the  individual and the organization. The post goes on to describe a manager who is so good at delivering bad news that her boss now asks her to speak on behalf of the organization while facing television cameras, the board of directors, and other stakeholders. Of course this is all in addition to her regular responsibilities. The manager is resentful that she is being asked to perform these tasks and is now considering quitting because, in her words, she deserves better.

Her boss says that  “She’s the best person for this activity, including me. I’m glad we’ve got her around and intend to continue letting her take point on this.”

My first thought on reading the post was 'What is this manager thinking!?'  My second thought was 'What is her boss thinking!?' They both have taken what should be a win-win situation and turned it into a crisis for the company.

First, let's look at the manager who thinks she has been 'thrown under the bus'. I see someone who has a unique talent that no one else in her organization has. Her skills and abilities to handle tough situations are not only valuable in her current position, but are things that she can capitalize on as her career grows. They are also portable to other jobs and other companies. This puts her in an excellent negotiating position. Rather than taking a victim mentality, she would be better served to use this as proof of her value to the organization in her next conversation about promotions or salary increases. If she really hates this aspect of the job, she needs to  communicate this to her boss and give him  an opportunity to work out a compromise before turning in her resignation.

Next, let's look at her boss. It's clear that he hasn't had a candid conversation with the manager. He assumes that she knows how valuable she is to the organization and that she is being groomed for future career growth. He hasn't told her that she is the best person for the job and why. He hasn't assured her that the role she plays is invaluable to the company.

Don't make the management mistake that unfolds in this scenario. Whether you are employee or boss, communication is the key.

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One of the most important roles a manager must perform is that of protecting the organization's investment in the critical resource of talent. In today's economic environment, it's especially hard to keep employees engaged and motivated. Competition is global, ideas are developed quickly and cheaply and people are willing to change jobs often.

The HR Bytes blog is calling for tools that will help companies measure the effect of talent drain on the company's bottom line by taking into account the amount of money spent acquiring and training staff members. Measurement tools will be helpful , but excellent managers can start now by taking these actions:

• Identify the critical skills needed to run your organization.
• Assess your current staff against these skills and identify gaps
• Put plans in place to close the gaps through training or hiring

When you take these steps, it gives you a clear picture of your staff's strengths which you can then take into account when making assignments. A sure way to engage and motivate an individual is to assign them a task they enjoy and are good at. It might mean the difference between keeping your talent pool strong or having it drain away.

When one of your staff members makes this statement, how do you react? If the person is a strong contributor you may agree with them. If they are a marginal producer, you might have to work hard to keep a straight face. In both of these cases, the employee has applied pressure to you as the manager to respond to their demand. They are in the driver's seat and you are on the defensive.

In the case of the top performer, while you may agree that they should be promoted, you may not be the only decision maker. Many companies require at least two levels of management to approve a promotion. Additionally, there may not be a business need for another position at that level.

The marginal performer clearly has an unrealistic view of the results they have achieved. You are faced with turning the conversation into a tough performance discussion.

Rather than accepting the responsibility to respond immediately, I recommend that you open a dialogue with the employee. Don't immediately agree or disagree. First, remind them that while their growth opportunities are important, their individual goals need to match up to the company's goals. Then ask a few open questions:

• What have you accomplished that has prepared you for this promotion?
• How has the business gained from your contributions?
• How will this new position benefit your career goals as well as the company's goals?

These questions move the conversation away from the emotional reactions. They give you the ability to have a candid conversation with the employee about your assessment of their contribution and the business needs. If the employee is really ready for that promotion, it will give you concrete results that you can use as you pursue additional approvals. If they're not ready, it gives you the opportunity to coach them on how to strengthen their case for the future.

            I just received a very timely joke in my email in basket. The story starts with a woman of a certain age going out to wash her car. On the way to the garage, she notices the mail on the hall table and stops to read it. Putting the junk mail in the trash can reminds her that the garbage needs to be taken out. Since she’ll pass the mailbox on the way out, she decides to write some bills to drop off on her way. These distractions go on all day. She jumps from activity to activity, never completing any of them. The joke ends with the car unwashed, the bills not paid, the flowers not watered, and our heroine trying to figure out why she didn’t get anything done even though she was busy all day. 

  No matter what our age, we can all relate to her dilemma. It seems that our list of things to accomplish each day gets longer and longer both at work and at home. We start to give our attention to one thing which reminds us of something else that is not getting done, or we start a project only to be interrupted. It seems that the only time we can truly concentrate is when we have an imminent deadline and are forced to work on one thing until it’s done. When the cookies need to be ready for the bake sale the next day or an important report is due to the client we force ourselves to concentrate on the task at hand.

 The ability to concentrate is a valuable asset in life and in business. Strengthening our skills in this area will give us a distinct advantage in accomplishing our goals.

One way to do this is to give yourself permission to concentrate for only a short period of time. For example, if you are working on a task that will take four hours, tell yourself you only have to work on it for the next thirty minutes (or fifteen or ten). In those thirty minutes, close the door and don’t answer the phone. Give all of your attention to the project.  At the end of the thirty minutes, relax and do something else. By working on the project in small chunks of time, you increase the odds that you won’t get bored or distracted and lose concentration. 

 Try this technique the next time you are struggling to complete a task and let me know how you make out.