How to Manage Passionate Employees
26 February 2009
Read by 4103 persons
Demanding, hardworking, involved... these profiles need to be managed delicately. Passionate people are a unique pool that needs to be managed well. Having such profiles in the company is an advantage for the employer, but also a difficult task for top management. So demanding and hardworking, these "superheroes" demand as much rigor from the members of all the teams they work with.
So, how to manage them without creating sensitivities and how to channel their enthusiasm for the benefit of the company?
Certainly, this is not an easy task for a manager, especially since these people are thirsty for recognition, an essential element for their well-being. And if the setting or the atmosphere in general no longer pleases them, these people do not hesitate to change jobs if the opportunity arises.
So, it is important to retain these talents, knowing that these executives are creative, hardworking, involved, and ready to invest themselves. One of the keys to good management is recognition. According to specialists, the more the manager shows that he is aware and appreciates their involvement, the better the performance of these people will be. Sometimes, these "superheroes" encounter resistance within the group, which is normal since some people who do not work well are embarrassed by the presence of these "workaholics". Sometimes, the relationship between these two parties deteriorates so much, in the absence of the manager's arbitration, that everyone goes their own way, which is not good for the company. In most cases, these people leave after a while if nothing changes.
To avoid this scenario, top management should pay attention to the expectations of these executives, ensure more transparency, and respect employees who are strategic for the company: because of know-how or expertise that is difficult to find on the market, or because they are leaders who know how to motivate those around them," agree the experts. And for good reason, this type of profile is a great asset for the company because they invest 100% or more and benefit the company with their time and energy, becoming a "real work machine".
Recognition remains the key word for good HR management, well before salary increases. And for good reason, with the new generation of employees, the situation has changed and the demands and expectations of executives have evolved. The manager must bring minds closer together and unite teams without creating sensitivities. The only downside is that these passionate people are, in most cases, stubborn, and sometimes they do not control their impulses, hence some clashes. But in general, they are demanding, strong, but at the same time very sensitive people. One thing is for sure, managing is a tough job, but it becomes easy if it is in the interest of the company. At that point, everyone gets involved, from top management to team members. It's tough, tough being a manager.
"Their dynamism must be respected and channeled with finesse"
Expert opinion • Mohammed Benouarrek
How to recognize passionate people?
In general, passionate people do not go unnoticed. Perseverance, ability to resist fatigue, ardor, tireless motivation, degree of involvement, insatiable desire to do well and finish what they have started, make them remarkable people in both the literal and metaphorical sense. That being said, in some cases, passionate people lack active listening and sometimes risk finding themselves in one-man shows.
How to manage these passionate people? How to avoid any confrontation with others?
Managing passionate people is a bit delicate because if they are emotional - and this is often the case - the manager must treat them with a lot of skill and delicacy. Passionate people have the strength of a rhinoceros coupled with the fragility of a butterfly. Their dynamism must be respected and channeled with great finesse and courtesy. On the vertical plane of their professional relationships, it is recommended not to limit them to reflection exercises but also to include them in action plans.
When a passionate person has a belief, it is difficult to change their mind unless the manager invests time to convince them. At this level, it is necessary to show a lot of emotional intelligence.
On the horizontal plane of their professional relationships, these people sometimes arouse jealousy around them. These passionate people may be perceived as disruptive elements seeking to attract the attention of top management to themselves - but this is not always the case. They are drivers of performance or actions that sometimes disturb by their presence and vitality.
Through their dynamism, they risk emphasizing the dormant elements that generally form a potential pool of antagonists.
How to channel this enthusiasm and benefit the company?
The ardor of passionate people is a human nuclear energy. It is imperative to make good use of it because the output of a passionate person (if they combine competence with discipline) can equal that of several normal people. It is strongly recommended to understand their reasoning, their motivations (often intrinsic), and their point of view in order to properly channel their energy and efforts. Sometimes, the mistrust and jealousy of others push the passionate person to isolate themselves in their own bubble. Each company must have passionate people because they have significant added value due to their involvement, their work rate, their perseverance, and their motivation to do everything well.
What are the advantages of having this type of person in the group?
A passionate person has a lot of chance to impose their leadership on the group. They can even transform, through their fervor, the group into a team and play the role of a catalyst. As a pacemaker (pace-setter), they blow wind in the wheels and drive upwards relentlessly. In general, if a passionate person takes over a group, the 'lame ducks' will soon either straighten up or leave. In both cases, the company wins.
What advice do you give to this type of profile?
It is true that dynamism and ardor are important assets, but active listening to others and the ability to integrate them are also important qualities. We must learn to respect difference. 'Diesel engines' also have their place in a socio-economic 'ecosystem'. Indeed, the motorcycle has not eradicated the bicycle. Above all, do not forget that true virtue is not to surpass others but to surpass oneself.
lematin.ma
So, how to manage them without creating sensitivities and how to channel their enthusiasm for the benefit of the company?
Certainly, this is not an easy task for a manager, especially since these people are thirsty for recognition, an essential element for their well-being. And if the setting or the atmosphere in general no longer pleases them, these people do not hesitate to change jobs if the opportunity arises.
So, it is important to retain these talents, knowing that these executives are creative, hardworking, involved, and ready to invest themselves. One of the keys to good management is recognition. According to specialists, the more the manager shows that he is aware and appreciates their involvement, the better the performance of these people will be. Sometimes, these "superheroes" encounter resistance within the group, which is normal since some people who do not work well are embarrassed by the presence of these "workaholics". Sometimes, the relationship between these two parties deteriorates so much, in the absence of the manager's arbitration, that everyone goes their own way, which is not good for the company. In most cases, these people leave after a while if nothing changes.
To avoid this scenario, top management should pay attention to the expectations of these executives, ensure more transparency, and respect employees who are strategic for the company: because of know-how or expertise that is difficult to find on the market, or because they are leaders who know how to motivate those around them," agree the experts. And for good reason, this type of profile is a great asset for the company because they invest 100% or more and benefit the company with their time and energy, becoming a "real work machine".
Recognition remains the key word for good HR management, well before salary increases. And for good reason, with the new generation of employees, the situation has changed and the demands and expectations of executives have evolved. The manager must bring minds closer together and unite teams without creating sensitivities. The only downside is that these passionate people are, in most cases, stubborn, and sometimes they do not control their impulses, hence some clashes. But in general, they are demanding, strong, but at the same time very sensitive people. One thing is for sure, managing is a tough job, but it becomes easy if it is in the interest of the company. At that point, everyone gets involved, from top management to team members. It's tough, tough being a manager.
"Their dynamism must be respected and channeled with finesse"
Expert opinion • Mohammed Benouarrek
How to recognize passionate people?
In general, passionate people do not go unnoticed. Perseverance, ability to resist fatigue, ardor, tireless motivation, degree of involvement, insatiable desire to do well and finish what they have started, make them remarkable people in both the literal and metaphorical sense. That being said, in some cases, passionate people lack active listening and sometimes risk finding themselves in one-man shows.
How to manage these passionate people? How to avoid any confrontation with others?
Managing passionate people is a bit delicate because if they are emotional - and this is often the case - the manager must treat them with a lot of skill and delicacy. Passionate people have the strength of a rhinoceros coupled with the fragility of a butterfly. Their dynamism must be respected and channeled with great finesse and courtesy. On the vertical plane of their professional relationships, it is recommended not to limit them to reflection exercises but also to include them in action plans.
When a passionate person has a belief, it is difficult to change their mind unless the manager invests time to convince them. At this level, it is necessary to show a lot of emotional intelligence.
On the horizontal plane of their professional relationships, these people sometimes arouse jealousy around them. These passionate people may be perceived as disruptive elements seeking to attract the attention of top management to themselves - but this is not always the case. They are drivers of performance or actions that sometimes disturb by their presence and vitality.
Through their dynamism, they risk emphasizing the dormant elements that generally form a potential pool of antagonists.
How to channel this enthusiasm and benefit the company?
The ardor of passionate people is a human nuclear energy. It is imperative to make good use of it because the output of a passionate person (if they combine competence with discipline) can equal that of several normal people. It is strongly recommended to understand their reasoning, their motivations (often intrinsic), and their point of view in order to properly channel their energy and efforts. Sometimes, the mistrust and jealousy of others push the passionate person to isolate themselves in their own bubble. Each company must have passionate people because they have significant added value due to their involvement, their work rate, their perseverance, and their motivation to do everything well.
What are the advantages of having this type of person in the group?
A passionate person has a lot of chance to impose their leadership on the group. They can even transform, through their fervor, the group into a team and play the role of a catalyst. As a pacemaker (pace-setter), they blow wind in the wheels and drive upwards relentlessly. In general, if a passionate person takes over a group, the 'lame ducks' will soon either straighten up or leave. In both cases, the company wins.
What advice do you give to this type of profile?
It is true that dynamism and ardor are important assets, but active listening to others and the ability to integrate them are also important qualities. We must learn to respect difference. 'Diesel engines' also have their place in a socio-economic 'ecosystem'. Indeed, the motorcycle has not eradicated the bicycle. Above all, do not forget that true virtue is not to surpass others but to surpass oneself.
lematin.ma
