What Makes An Exceptional Employee

Everybody knows what makes for exceptional employees. They’re team players who are dependable, smart, and talented. So what lifts an employee in to the ranks of “outstanding?” How about this list of nine attributes from BNet blogger Jeff Haden:

1. uniqueness
2. social smarts
3. adaptability
4. inquisitiveness
5. focus
6. the urge to tinker with the status quo
7. a desire to prove they’re right
8. they praise others in public
9. they complain in private

Of these, I think social smarts and focus are the most important. Workers who read social signals poorly lose friends and make enemies no matter how well and how often they come up with process or product improvements. And those that don’t have a focused intensity — a real passion for what they do — are unlikely to be peak performers.

For HR professionals, the question is how do we foster a workplace that encourages, develops and rewards the quirky thinkers who not only come up with great ideas, but have the drive to see those ideas through?

What’s worked for your company?

Source: Bnet