Managing High Performers
High-performing employees in tech are seen as both invaluable and frequently mismanaged: many argue they’re underpaid relative to the value they create, overburdened with extra responsibilities, and pushed toward burnout rather than supported. Commenters emphasize that beyond fair compensation, what keeps top talent is autonomy, a manager who removes blockers instead of “coaching” for its own sake, and a culture that rewards mentorship without creating a single over-relied-on “savior.” Others question whether large organizations and current market structures can realistically recognize and nurture true high performance, given politics, weak coaching, and fear of disruption from exceptionally strong individual contributors.
Compensation and “What They’re Worth”
- Many agree that paying high performers well is necessary but insufficient.
- Several argue almost no wage workers, including tech, are paid what they generate; calls to “pay everyone what they’re worth” surface.
- Others reply that the market sets pay, and that upside belongs partly to capital-bearers and risk-takers.
- Disagreement over feasibility: some say “most companies can’t pay that much,” others say equity/ownership is the path if you want full upside.
- Debate over how realistic “just become a shareholder” is for people living precariously.
What High Performers Want From Managers
- Common theme: remove blockers, provide clarity, protect them from organizational nonsense, and advocate for raises and visibility.
- Many emphasize minimal “coaching”; high performers mostly self-direct and ask for help when needed.
- Respectful environment, interesting problems, autonomy, and work–life balance often valued as much as or more than maximum cash.
- High performers resent being overused, dragged into others’ roles, or having their time endlessly stretched, leading to burnout.
“Savior” Roles and Team Dynamics
- Letting one strong person “float and help” can create organizational dependence and a bus factor of one.
- Good help = mentoring and unblocking, not quietly finishing others’ work.
- Tension: some are punished for not immediately solving others’ problems, even when that harms long-term team growth.
High Performers vs. Large Organizations
- Some claim big tech and large corporations structurally suppress or misplace true high performers, rewarding politics over impact.
- Others inside such companies strongly disagree, citing teams full of very strong people with high pay and responsibility.
- Recognizing high performance is seen as hard in bureaucracies with constant reorgs and misaligned incentives.
Management Skill, Coaching, and Limitations
- Strong disagreement with the idea that high performers “cannot be managed”; many argue management is a distinct skill from technical performance.
- Sports analogies are debated but used to argue that great coaches aren’t always top former players.
- Several report that real coaching and mentorship are rare; many managers are promoted for technical ability but lack people-development skills.
- Some disabled and neurodivergent workers say they’ve requested coaching and received only superficial feedback.
Critiques of Management Advice Culture
- Multiple commenters see such articles as thinly veiled guides to extract more from “overproducers” until they burn out.
- Others object to the implied perfection of managers and pathologizing of reports, noting structural problems and underappreciation often drive “irritability.”