An Article Review on "How to Keep a Players Productive" by Steven Berglas (September 2006 Issue of Harvard Business Review)

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An Article Review On: “How to Keep A Players Productive” By Steven Berglas September 2006 Issue of Harvard Business Review Don’t be too overjoyed when you know you have the “A Players” in your organization. These overachievers might look like they’re just doing fine; however, they have inner vulnerabilities which need to be carefully addressed. Steven Berglas defines A Players, their behaviour and how to retain them. “A Players” gives you the competitive edge and then leaves your company. Why? All they wanted was a constant praise; for you to appreciate their every promising move in your organization. Maybe you have praised them, but for them, it wasn’t enough. A Players are the organization’s most gifted and productive employees. However, they’re also the most insecure and most vulnerable ones. That’s why you need to be very sensitive with them. Keep an eye for these people who keep on striving to suffice their inner need for recognition. This is often a sign of irrationally low self-esteem. Their childhood experience from parents, who were never satisfied for their great accomplishments in school, might be the cause of their discontentment with their present achievements. Another problem with these overachievers is their inability to set boundaries for themselves. When you request them for something (task or project), they’ll overwork to impress you; only to be dissatisfied with your praise. Overworking eats up their time and only frustrates them when your praise fails to satisfy them. A Players are irritated with those people whom they see as less talented. They don’t want to work with them and find ways to get rid of their presence. These complicated A Players are really difficult to cope with. You just need to simply recognize their hidden vulnerabilities, for you to apply some tactics to help them overcome their frustrations. First, “let them triumph”;

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