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5 bad habits of high-potential employees
SYEDA ADIBA ARIF
Legacy organisations have historically rewarded a “get-things-done-fast” mindset, fostering problematic behavior by high-potential employees as an unintended by-product. Despite emphasising the equal weightage of business and people, many organisations end up overlooking the negative impact of these ambitious talents on team morale. When left unchecked, they can have serious consequences on long term business results.
Watch out for these 5 bad habits commonly found in high-potential employees.
Aggressive quest of business targets
With a focused vision on driving business targets, high-potential employees are sometimes willing to strain workplace relationships and sacrifice their life outside work. The problem magnifies when they expect the same from their teams, who may not share that worldview. They may condemn those who don’t share their commitment level, resorting to emotional volatility as a management tool to drive results. Ultimately this results in creating a culture of burnout and resentment, reducing productivity and cohesion.
Overwhelming need to dominate discussion
High-potential employees may struggle to listen actively. Even when someone else is talking, they’re mentally occupied with crafting their counter-response. They tend to hijack discussions, blocking diverse perspectives and revealing a lack of respect for others’ viewpoints. This tendency can trap teams in silos of old ideas, stifling innovation. Employees may feel undervalued and disengaged, further clipping team performance.
Setting unbalanced expectations
Teams are made up of a spectrum of talents, from stellar superstars to steady contributors and even those who are struggling. Some team members, who may not have the steepest career trajectory, provide essential stability and specialised knowledge. High-potential employees may overlook these contributions, expecting uniform charisma and drive from everyone, while neglecting to offer additional support to those who need it. This one-size-fits-all approach misses the opportunity to also leverage each member’s unique strengths, reflecting significant oversight in leadership.
Unnecessary pursuit of perfection
While striving for high standards is valuable, pushing for perfection on every task and project can be counterproductive. When a deliverable is good enough, investing excessive energy for marginal gains is not only wasteful, but also damaging to morale, as employees may feel that their work is never good enough. This also shifts focus from high priority tasks to good-to-haves.
Draining Pessimism
Optimism is a critical leadership trait, enabling leaders to uncover opportunities in adversity. While optimistic leaders spread a shared vision of success, conversely, pessimistic leaders spread negativity. They undermine other projects or teams. This condescending behaviour, rooted in a superiority complex can erode company culture, as team members may begin to impersonate and adopt similar perspectives.
High-potential employees are undoubtedly great assets, bringing high energy and impact. However, to fully realise their potential, they need to actively avoid these toxic behaviours. Without self-awareness, even the most promising employees risk creating a toxic environment – a significant challenge in today’s workplace, where the threshold for poor management is lower than ever.
Adiba Arif is an HR Manager at BAT Bangladesh and a corporate columnist for The Daily Star. Having completed her Bachelor’s from IBA, University of Dhaka, she is currently pursuing a Master’s in Data Science & Analytics at East West University.