{"id":21894,"date":"2020-12-23T17:33:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-23T21:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=21894"},"modified":"2021-01-04T19:33:14","modified_gmt":"2021-01-04T23:33:14","slug":"rock-star-vs-superstar-radical-candor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/rock-star-vs-superstar-radical-candor\/","title":{"rendered":"Rock star vs Superstar: Radical Candor Explains"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is the difference between rock star vs. superstar in Radical Candor<\/em>? How should you manage these employees differently?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each employee progresses and grows differently. In Radical Candor<\/em>, rock star vs. superstar is about their performance and growth trajectory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to better understand rock star vs. superstar in Radical Candor<\/em>, including what the terminology means and how you should treat them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Radical Candor<\/em>: Rock Star vs. Superstar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before you dive into rock star vs. superstar in Radical Candor<\/em>, you should understand the different categories. Your employees will likely fall into one of five performance and growth trajectory combinations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. High performance with rapid growth (\u201csuperstar\u201d)<\/li>
  2. High performance with gradual growth (\u201crock star\u201d)<\/li>
  3. Low performance with no growth<\/li>
  4. Low performance with expected rapid growth<\/li>
  5. Mediocre<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    1. Supporting High Performance With Rapid Growth (Superstars)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cSuperstars\u201d<\/strong> are team members who like their work and are very good at it, and who are on a very rapid growth trajectory. They\u2019re looking to move up in the ranks and are prepared to dedicate the necessary time and energy to doing so. These results-driven people are often coming up with innovative ideas, carrying your team to the next level. In thinking through rock star vs. superstar in Radical Candor<\/em>, both are high-performance individuals but it is about their growth pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The most important step in supporting your superstars is making sure they\u2019re consistently challenged so they don\u2019t feel bored or get stuck.<\/em><\/strong> <\/em>There are three ways you can meaningfully push your superstars to continue growing: keep them challenged, don\u2019t get in their way, and don\u2019t assume they want to manage. In Radical Candor<\/em>, rock star vs. superstar also diverges on this. The regular challenge is especially important for this group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Keep them challenged:<\/strong> To prevent boredom, superstars need to be learning constantly. Be on the lookout for new projects they can take on, or find a mentor from outside your team that can help them more than you can. Bear in mind that they\u2019ll most likely outgrow your team, so don\u2019t become too dependent on them\u2014be ready to replace them. You can create a challenge for them by asking them to help you with this\u2014they can teach or train those who are meant to take over once they\u2019ve moved on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Don\u2019t get in their way: <\/strong>Recognize that your job is to encourage your superstars to grow beyond your team, or help them get hired to a place where they can thrive. All too many managers squash their superstars\u2019 ambitions and growth because they want to keep the great work and willing attitude for themselves and their team. Stifling your employee in this way will cause resentment, lack of motivation, and subsequently, poor work. Likewise, many managers fail to recognize when they have a potential superstar on their hands who just doesn\u2019t do great work on their<\/em> team. There are other places this person can thrive\u2014make sure you\u2019re not holding them back from pursuing better opportunities by insisting that they just try harder in their current position. Help them look for opportunities where they can do great work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Don\u2019t assume they want to manage: <\/strong>Thinking that growth naturally leads to management is a common mistake, because in many organizations there\u2019s a real emphasis put on \u201cleadership potential.\u201d This emphasis on leadership is unfair on several levels. It\u2019s unfair for the superstar because it naturally caps their growth. <\/strong>If they\u2019re full of potential, but not leadership <\/em>potential, there\u2019s only so far they can advance in the organization. They may have untapped growth that can continue to massively benefit the organization or their field, but they\u2019re held back because they don\u2019t want to be anyone\u2019s boss. It\u2019s also unfair to the teams of unwilling managers.<\/strong> When someone\u2019s a boss just because that was the only advancement available, they\u2019ll either do a mediocre job out of disinterest, or a downright bad job out of resentment. Bad management<\/a> limits both the growth of the employee who could thrive outside a management position, and the growth of team members who could thrive under good management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Google gets around this particular problem with their \u201cindividual contributor\u201d career path<\/a>, which is even more prestigious than many management positions and is designed to honor the ambitions of superstars who don\u2019t want to be anyone\u2019s boss. In this position, superstars can continue growing and learning on their own terms\u2014they have no overhead supervision and have the freedom to work on projects as they see fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Supporting High Performance With Gradual Growth (Rock Stars)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Rock stars<\/strong> are team members who like their work and are very good at it, but have chosen not to follow a rapid growth trajectory. They might be happy where they are, or have other things going on in their lives outside work that they want to dedicate time and energy to. These reliable team members are the people who keep things running smoothly from day to day. So, in Radical Candor<\/em>, rock star vs. superstar comes down to how quickly they grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The most important step in supporting your rock stars is <\/strong>making sure you\u2019re not ignoring them or their work.<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong>There are two ways you can meaningfully support your rock stars: make sure you\u2019re giving them fair reviews, and give them regular recognition for their efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Give them fair reviews: <\/strong>Many organizations\u2019 review processes focus too heavily on leadership or promotion potential. <\/strong>If you focus too heavily on these factors, your rock stars will often be overlooked when it comes to performance reviews\u2014especially if your organization sets a quota on how many stellar reviews you can give out. Your rock stars deserve a few places among these stellar reviews, even if they\u2019re not gunning for a promotion. You should make sure there\u2019s an even mix of rock stars and superstars at the top of your reviews, to ensure that not all your praise is being reserved for those on a rapid growth trajectory. In Radical Candor<\/em>, rock star vs. superstar has a distinction here because of the way rock stars are sometimes treated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Give them regular recognition:<\/strong> Your rock stars deserve recognition and respect for the role they have in keeping things running smoothly in your organization. There are a few ways you can meaningfully recognize your rock stars:<\/p>\n\n\n\n