Traits of High Performers Named by CEB

Advisory company CEB has released its annual Executive Guidance report identifying the competencies possessed by employees recognized as high performers. CEB found the ingredients for a high-performance employee to be immunity to the complexities of change, a willingness to collaborate with a diverse range of personalities, and the ability to apply sound judgment in increasingly complex roles. The company notes that such employees are scarce in the current workforce as most employees lack this ideal combination of skills.

“Employees today have more ambiguous objectives and are working with larger groups of stakeholders, making both flexibility and the ability to collaborate ‘must-have’ competencies for companies seeking higher levels of performance,” Conrad Schmidt, global research officer at CEB, said. “Important business decisions are also being made lower in the organization, putting an even higher premium on good judgment. Building the next generation of high-performers will require organizations to cultivate these skills within their employee base and to be keenly aware of the dramatic shifts occurring in today’s work environment.”

CEB identified 10 competencies that, when present in tandem, differentiate employees as high performers:

• Ability to prioritize

• A team player

• Organizational awareness

• Effective problem solving

• Self-awareness

• Proactivity

• Ability to influence

• Effective decision making

• Learning agility

• Technical savvy

Data for the report was collected from a pool of 40 organizations globally representing more than 20,000 employees.