How to Manage Smart People

Smart people think differently and expect more from managers. Managing smart people requires the ability to understand the talent of each individual and to be comfortable with the fact that some people might be brighter than you are. You need to learn to encourage smart people and provide conditions for them to develop their skills and talents further. Your team members should respect you and are happy to be led by you.

Instructions

1. Create an environment to promote good ideas to encourage smart people to contribute. Reward smart people generously.Hire people that are self-motivated and confident.

2. Give smart people challenges. Talented people tend to get bored easily. Challenges will help them to focus. Do not take talented people for granted. You will benefit greatly from paying close attention to your top performers.

3. Find out as much as you can about characteristics and personalities of smart and skilled people in your team. The more you understand them, the better you can respond to their requests and lead them.

4. Limit the amount of bureaucracy that they have to deal with. Smart people do not cope well with bureaucracy. Simplify rules and policies. By freeing smart people from administrative tasks, you can refocus their energy on the most challenging problems of the organization.

5. Protect clever people from organizational politics as much as you can. Smart people rarely want to deal with office politics.

6. Understand what motivates your top performers. If they are not intellectually challenged and inspired by organizational purposes, they will leave you. Avoid using title or position to motivate smart people.

7. Keep them informed about what is going on in the organization to make them feel to be part of the organization. This also reduces the risk of communication misinterpretation among your team members.

8. Demonstrate that you are an expert in one or many areas that can help them to accomplish their tasks.

Resources

• How to manage your most talented people?