Every business owner wants a high-performance team, but let’s be honest — most don’t have one. What they often have is a mix of good, average, and “how do they still have a job?” players.
The difference between scraping by and scaling successfully usually comes down to who’s on your team and how they perform.
Professional sport is a useful analogy. Every position has one slot, and players know they must work hard to keep their place. They show up for training, they develop themselves, and they know if they don’t, someone else will. Imagine if your business had that culture: people constantly improving, proud of their role, and clear that their place on the team is earned, not guaranteed. That’s the A-Player mindset.
The problem, of course, is that A-Players are in short supply — hard to recruit and even harder to retain. So, where do you start?
- Ask the Brutal Question Before You Recruit
Why would someone who’s already successful, well-paid, and respected in their current role leave to come and work for you? If you can’t answer that, you’ll never land A-Players. Money alone isn’t enough — they want opportunity, culture, and challenge. Get clear on your “why us?” and you’ve got a fighting chance.
- Show You’re a Winning Team
A-Players want to join a winning side, surrounded by other A-Players they can learn from. How will they know you’re that business? The first place they’ll look is your website.
- Does your site look like the home of a high-performance team?
- Do you highlight awards you’ve won?
- Are there pictures and short stories from existing A-Players talking about why they love working for you?
- Do you blandly advertise “current vacancies” or do you say: “If you’re a high-performer, join our winning team”?
It’s not all about money anymore. More than ever, people want a rewarding and meaningful career with clear development opportunities. If your employer brand doesn’t scream “A-Players welcome here,” don’t be surprised if they scroll right past you.
- Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill
Skills can be taught. Values, work ethic, and coachability can’t. If you want an A-Player culture, recruit people who share your standards and hunger to improve.
- Set Crystal-Clear Goals
In sport, the scoreboard makes success obvious. In business, too many leaders leave their team playing in the fog. A-Players thrive on clarity: clear goals, defined measures, and no ambiguity about what a win looks like.
- Feedback is Fuel
Top athletes thrive on coaching. They watch the tapes, analyse data, and adapt. Your team should be no different. Regular, honest feedback — both ways — is what keeps performance high. A-Players crave it because it’s how they improve.
- Empower, Don’t Micromanage
If you’ve hired A-Players, let them play. Give them resources, trust, and freedom. Hold them accountable, yes — but don’t stand over them second-guessing. Micromanagement is the fastest way to lose your best people.
- Celebrate Progress, Not Just Perfection
Sports teams celebrate every goal, not just the trophy at the end of the season. Recognition fuels motivation. Celebrate wins, large and small, and you’ll build momentum and loyalty. Ignore progress, and you’ll soon have a disengaged bench.
