Recognize the Contributions of ‘Average’ IT Performers

Several years ago, I was flying to Los Angeles and had a conversation with a fellow passenger on the plane. Both of us had advanced into executive positions in our careers, and at some point, the conversation turned to staff development and centered on how to manage average performers.  

“Everyone has average performers,” she said, “And there has to be a place for them.”  

That stuck with me, because then, as now, the focus has always been on hiring top-level performers and developing staff members so they can become high performers. The traditional management wisdom is the following: 

These strategies work for employees who can improve and for those who just can’t cut it on the job. However, what about the employees who just muddle on, doing their work in an unexceptional way every day, but not badly enough to where they warrant getting fired? 

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Here are four classic examples: 

The employee who just wants to do their job, nothing more and nothing less. This employee likes the job because they know exactly what the work will be day in and day out, and they’re comfortable doing it. These employees appreciate a steady paycheck and a relaxed pace. They do acceptable, albeit not extraordinary work. They leave work when it’s quitting time so they can devote more time to other interests. A prime example is the American writer William Faulkner, who worked as a nondescript postal clerk while penning some of his first novels and hoping for literary recognition and regular paychecks as a writer.  

The stellar performer who is two years away from retirement and now wants to “give back” by training others. I once had a system guru on my staff who could innovate and solve issues that no one else could, not even our vendors. One day he knocked on my door and said that he didn’t want to do this anymore. He said he recognized that he would be retiring soon, and he wanted to extend his legacy and his knowledge to other junior staff members whom he could mentor. This plan worked well because we all knew that junior staff would be ready for the transition when he finally retired, but I also knew that his days as a stellar high performer were over. 

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The employee who is over-stressed at home or at work, or who has health issues. Employees with health and stress issues struggle to perform at high levels. In some cases, their doctors advise them to work jobs that are less stressful. Many of these employees have years of valuable work knowledge and loyalty. They are still able to contribute at an average, if not exceptional level. 

The employee who wants to avoid company politics. These are people who just want to do their jobs. They want to skip the politics that sometimes happen when high-performing individuals are competing for promotions. 

Is There a Place for Average Work in IT? 

In an ideal IT world, everyone is an exceptional performer who is passionate about their job. However, IT leaders know that a staff packed with high-level performers is not the reality in IT. So, is there a place for average performance workers? 

The short answer is yes, because there are still many routine tasks in IT that can’t be fully automated and that need to be performed by humans. Examples are: 

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This is by no means a comprehensive list, but all are examples where I have seen individuals desiring reduced stress jobs really enjoy their work. These individuals perform on-the-ground functions that render everyone else’s work easier because higher level performers don’t have to do the mundane work. 

What’s the key to integrating and optimizing these individuals? 

Value them. 

You can do this by recognizing the value of the everyday but necessary work average performers do in IT. Also, listen to these employees when you might want to encourage or even have them take on higher level work, but who tell you they are happy doing what they’re doing. 

“Mediocre means average,” said Ravi Venkatean, Chairman for People and Planet and former chairman of Microsoft India. “In any population, by definition, exactly half of that population is above average, and the other half is below average. When you look at it that way, there’s nothing wrong with being mediocre at many or most things in your life. The trick is to find the one or two things that you excel at.”