Lessons on rock stars, the rock-solid, and ROCKS

In order to build stronger, more vibrant communities, municipal leaders, whether appointed or elected, seek proven ways to maximize the performance of their employees. Far and away the most influential factor in the success of employees, municipal and otherwise, is their attitude toward their role at work.

The most valuable employees approach every day as a starting line instead of a finish line, seeking fresh ways to contribute to the organization’s mission. I refer to these types of employees as your “rock stars.” Like the original rock stars (those in the music biz), who have adapted to changing trends among the listening public without losing their taste compass, municipal rock stars know how to prioritize the evolving needs of their communities while adhering to a foundation of ethics and equity. They push every day to move their cities’ bell curve to the right (i.e., higher performance).

Unfortunately, most organizations reward these rock stars with more work! The unintended consequence is that your organization’s rock stars can feel overworked and neglected, and they may even run out of fuel entirely. Make no mistake about it: your rock stars are self-starters, are highly motivated, and serve as the primary drivers of your organization’s success. They would definitely benefit from more positive attention and support.

Two other types of employees are what I refer to as “rock-solid” and ROCKS. The rock-solid are those who arrive at work every day committed to doing their very best and are often the backbone of the organization, but they also are often no more than cautiously optimistic about any changes coming down the pike—you know, those changes launched in the name of improving organizational effectiveness. They may not always be overly ambitious, in other ords, but they are rock-solid performers nonetheless.

Finally, there are those employees whom I refer to as ROCKS, an acronym I’ve coined that means Resisting the Opportunity to Change one’s Knowledge and Skills. Some employees quit and leave, whereas ROCKS quit and stay. Their bad morale is contagious, and worse still, low-morale people like ROCKS are always seeking new recruits. These employees seek to move the organization’s bell curve to the left, dragging down performance and effectiveness.

What frustrates rock stars is how leaders will accept ROCKS as members of the workforce. Remember: whatever you tolerate, you advocate. Rock star employees often have to compensate for the work ROCKS aren’t accomplishing. On the other hand, rock stars will often welcome the challenge of helping an organization get the most out of its rock-solid employees.

In short, attracting the right kinds of employees can help cities maximize performance and optimize service levels. Here are three key ways to hire, develop, and retain more rock stars:

Revise your hiring and promotional processes. Explore deeper the intangibles that influence performance. Credentials don’t always translate to competence; if you’ve ever made a bad hire, you know what I mean. Refresh your job announcements so you emphasize possessing a healthy attitude as a difference-maker. Revise your interview questions with a stronger focus on candidates’ and employees’ desire to learn. Ask: “What did you learn last year?” Rock stars are curious, always dreaming up new ways of doing things, and think of themselves as possessing a mind like “wet clay” instead of clay pots.

Fix your performance appraisal process. Ensure that the appraisal instrument is aligned with the job description and with the work employees actually complete every day. Remarkably, those three factors—job description, performance appraisal, and the daily work—often aren’t aligned, which undermines the prioritization of mission-critical work. Beyond the instrument, equip supervisors, managers, and leaders with the requisite skills and capabilities to provide timely, accurate, and meaningful feedback to their employees. Require selfassessments from each employee as part of the process.

Reinforce that rock stars are the visible, vocal advocates of the preferred workplace culture. Indeed, these employees are the champions of change, operationalizing the mission, vision, and values to enable your organization and community to reach their full potential. As professional, collegial employees who traffic in trust and build healthy relationships, rock stars value individual accountability and expect their organization’s leaders to be vigilant in ensuring that it exists.

The best days for your organization and your community are in front of them. Your rock stars are symbols of this mind-set and commit themselves daily to building a stronger community. They’re energized by the mission and purpose of local government. Today, people aren’t looking for jobs, they’re looking for meaning—and local government is in the meaning business. If city leaders set the stage for them, your municipal rock stars will shine.

Patrick Ibarra, a former city manager, operates the Mejorando Group, an organizational effectiveness consulting practice with clients throughout the state of Washington.