Phil Mickelson is now the proud owner of his third green jacket after winning the 2010 Masters. His win was exciting, amazing and even heart-warming. After Mickelson, the second-highest paid athlete in the world, won the tournament he greeted his cancer-stricken wife with open arms and a long embrace. It was like a scene from a heartfelt romance when they celebrated his victory.
Despite Phil’s golfing abilities and endearing family history, Tiger Woods still captured more headlines and sponsors after taking fourth at the Master’s. Why would an all-American golf champion be over-shadowed by the scandalous fourth runner up? Shouldn’t the wholesome family man, who actually won the Masters title, receive more coverage than a passé playboy?
Does this scenario sound familiar? One employee excels at his job. He is punctual, polite and an over-achiever. He finishes projects before deadlines and brings more to the table than is expected of him. He is clearly a superstar performer, but his work is eclipsed. His coworker is consistently late, loud and rude. She routinely has to extend her project deadlines and never exceeds expectations. Her coworkers simply tolerate her, and constantly discuss her disturbances with other people in the company, yet she mesmerizes the boss. She is arrogant, entitled and is constantly seeking attention.
As a manager, it is easy to assume that conflict resolution is a top priority. If a major conflict exists in an office setting, productivity is likely to diminish and employee morale will suffer. Although it is important to keep the peace, it is also just as important to remember to praise those employees who perform beyond their best.
Rewarding those employees who strive to give 110% of themselves will set a positive example for the rest of the team, and will diminish the attention given to the troublemaker in the office. When employees see that good behavior and exceptional work are rewarded, they will strive to achieve that recognition. On the flip side, managers should avoid paying too much attention to troublemakers in order to stifle manipulation and drama. Rewarding exemplary employees amidst chaos also sends a message that despite any “bad apples” the company still understands that other people are doing their jobs, and that not all of management’s attention has been focused on one problematic employee.
Phil Mickelson may not enjoy the limelight, but he deserves more credit for being an outstanding golfer and family man. No one ever said being a manager was easy, so it is important to remember to praise those exceeding expectations while simultaneously neutralizing problem employees.
