Are You Rewarding Performance Theater Over Real Performance?

Some of the best performers keep their heads down and refuse to promote themselves. They believe the quality of their work is the best advertisement for their value.

In contrast, some average performers plug themselves relentlessly. They market every drop of performance they are connected to, promoting themselves shamelessly in the process.

Knowing who is who is critical for team success.

Because leaders are often separated from the production of the work, they sometimes find it difficult to distinguish between the top performers and those who are more skilled at performance theater.

Yet, rewarding real performance over performance theatrics is critically important for retaining top talent and creating a workplace that focuses on meritocracy and not splash.

That’s why the best leaders depend on a variety of signs to help them know who is who.

Average performers who are overly self-promotional are always updating others about their results. They post, inform, and update much more frequently than others.

They prefer to make themselves highly visible to leaders and those with influence, making sure they never fail to say “hello” at any social or team function.

When given the opportunity to speak, they focus more on the story than on the tangible impact of their work. If they are connected to good results, they draw attention to their own contribution, rarely attributing success to the team.

Many performance actors are highly subtle in the way they self-promote, doing so privately or choosing the best time to throw in a self-congratulatory comment that doesn’t seem out of place.

But they are typically overly focused on enhancing their reputations. They pursue taking credit for team outcomes as if it were a sport.

Good leaders aren’t fooled.

They know that the highest performers consistently deliver strong results over time and set the standards for others to follow. Colleagues commonly use their work as templates or references to make their own work better.

Top performers are trusted by peers to handle critical tasks and responsibilities and are regularly called upon to fill in or stand by in case they are needed.

Rather than focus on what team members say about their work, good leaders look for examples where the output influences the entire team and has a lasting impact on future outcomes.

They look to peers to tell them who is doing the best work and negate the influence of who is most visible and at the center of the stage.

By rewarding and recognizing the real performers, leaders send a loud message to the team that self-promotion is okay to a point, but the value of any contribution lies in the work, not in the message about the work.

Performance theater is an art form in organizations where people vie for attention. When it comes to assessing performance and talent, good leaders strive to distinguish between what is acting and what is real.

Fiction is never a substitute for hard work.

Do you have anyone on your team who, upon reflection, is a better actor than a performer? Reward and recognize the talent, not the thespian.