Keeping Smart Productive People

So after last weeks post on looking after smart but lazy people, I got some interesting feedback from a friend who’s a Human Resources Manager in a national organisation with a couple of thousand employees in what seems like hundreds of locations.   She agreed with me, but extended my idea either further with a number of points that she thought were fairly important. I thought it was worthwhile passing on her ideas about the whole smart/stupid v’s productive/lazy thing.

I should point out firstly though that her main point was she didn’t like me using the word like stupid. Not so much because it wasn’t true (oh boy is it true) but just because its not the done thing to call people stupid out loud.

I however strive to be a realist, plus, I generally don’t care if I upset stupid people.

Anyway, her main points were:

• If you can’t promote smart, productive people – then give them a big project they can sink their teeth into, in an area where they are passionate and watch them fly. Don’t forget though that you need to think about what will happen at the end of the project, because if its back to business as usual, they will fly out the window.

• Never leave a smart / lazy person idle – they will do nothing (or surf the net all day – but they’re smart so it will be within your so-called “guidelines” so you won’t be able to sack them for it).  And then they’ll complain very loudly how no-one appreciates them .

• Never leave a “not so smart” but lazy person with not much on. They are guaranteed to ignore policies & procedures and getup to no good.

I just can’t resist practical advice, and hers is certainly practical.

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