A team is a collection of individuals and the leader’s job is to create an environment for the team to achieve ever-greater things together. While in theory it is a good idea to treat everyone the same, reality is quite different. Everyone is special.
Some high-achieving individuals are giving you their best effort most all of the time. They are totally devoted to the company and have been known to work day and night to do their best, while others simply don't have that kind of dedication or self-motivation.
So next time you stand in front of everyone in the company and implore the entire team to dig deeper and try harder, you stand a chance of pushing "Mr. or Mrs. Hard Driver" right off the cliff. “What does he want from me? I’m working as hard and as fast as I can. I’ve devoted my entire life to this company.” Meanwhile, “Mr. Low Achiever” is wondering what he is going to order for lunch and is minimally fazed by your exultation's.
Oftentimes you need to spend one-on-one time helping over-achievers to throttle back the engine a bit. They need balance in their life to keep performing at a high level and the leader is uniquely qualified to make certain they stay fresh and motivated as the high achiever is the last person you want to lose. They will appreciate the extra attention and if you are going to focus on lifting the effort it is always best to lift the effort and spend valuable management time with your best employees.
That is why leaders need to choose their words with more care when they are speaking to large gatherings of diverse team members.
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