A players love being tested or challenged. But they have to see the scoreboard.
So put up a scoreboard in public and generate competition. A players will step up their game and want to win by a mile.
C players dread everyone seeing the scoreboard with their performance, but they will step up their game because they don’t want to be last.
If the score is not public, people the players won’t care what it is. Once the score IS right there for all to see, everyone tries harder – and loves the recognition.
I’m glad you mentioned recognition. Some companies hide the scoreboard because they don’t differentiate the A players from the C players. And, as long as you don’t own the company, it’s easier to be a Manager when everyone gets a trophy, even when the team has a losing season.
The C players love it because they can be comfortable and compensated for being C players.
But the A players who have enough ‘stuff’ and play for reasons other than compensation resent the ‘widening of the plate’ – the lowering of the bar – along with the loss of recognition for actual accomplishment that it brings.
If the A players don’t feel recognized for the margin of contribution they provide to the team’s success, they eventually become your competition’s A player.
Great post, Larry. Have a Great Day!