We will we will rock you! That is exactly what Rock Stars do. They are out to bull doze all the others into submission and are keen to break barriers. Move up, Move on. They are in a tearing hurry to reach higher and higher and love the accolades and the adulation. They want the spotlight and the limelight. They want it all!
A Rock Star has an attitude of can do will do. No matter what they want to achieve what they have set out to do. Remember that sometimes this can well be someone else’s goal or target
What do Rockstars do? They are probably the best so far as Knowledge and Skills is concerned. They are early adaptors to all that’s new in the organisation whether Technology Tools or systems and processes and know that ‘Extra’ bit which differentiates them from others. They are able to use this information available to their client needs and find better solutions, quicker.
They are the favourites of the organisation and of their customers because they are able to do more for both of them. Some of the characteristics they bring to the table are Innovativeness, Curiosity and adaptability / flexibility. Some of the key skills they bring to the table are Problem Solving, Communication and Quick Decision making
What happens next? Rockstars are usually easily distracted (by wanting to do new and more and tend to lose interest in their current tasks if these happen to be routine and regular for a longer period of time. They may sometimes expect much more than normally due because they are higher contributors. They may make the mistake of chewing more than they can swallow and can also lose focus of the laid down track in their hurry to do more in less time. In some case they may even succeed in the short run to only fail in the long run due to BOSS ‘Burn Out Soon Syndrome’
Rockstars are the first to be on the next level movement and can also be a cause of attrition in an organisation if they are not ‘taken care’ off. If a Rockstar becomes complacent and becomes more dependent on a few of his core activities which bring maximum results, he can slip into a ‘Snoozer Cruiser’ or else if he loses his adaptability and ‘values’ advantage and slows down on his potential – he can still work his way up as he may become like a ‘Hi Jumper’
If one were to take a look at the picture below, the correlation with the upper hierarchy of the organisation as well as the importance of 9th Boxers comes into play. In level 1 (yellow box) you will notice the boxes with 1, 1 and 5 and then 1,5, and 9. So what is 5 for Yellow Box becomes 1 for Red (Level 2) box. What is a 9 in Yellow (Level 1) box becomes a 5 in Red (Level 2) box
Therefore while one may well consider her/himself to be a RockStar, it is only so within their realm (or box). As they move upward, they go into the lower levels of the upper level boxes. Which is also why sometimes a Rockstar despite being the best in his group and right on top from a potential and performance matrix may yet get passed by because the senior team found someone from the other two boxes nearby who may have qualified on other factors such as experience, vintage, academic qualifications etc, which on a multi factor consideration brings his candidature on a higher scale as compared to peers
A 9th boxer in one level technically rises to the 5th box in the next level – so on other words you start off as a median Performer and a Median Potential in the new circumstances and are likely best poised to launch off to the 9th Box in this level too. Things to watch out for are – Consistency and Growth. Be consistent in all that you do, and keep growing bit by bit, day by day. That is what key for moving on and moving up!
