Primadonna management is an important aspect of management in any organization. All companies have them — the primadonnas. Those who demand clear goals constantly, and who may be misconstrued as hysterical or troublesome. For the prima donnas, in fact, are often misunderstood.
Although the term may sound negative, the prima donnas should be looked at as a resource. Because in fact, they are star players -- indispensable talents whose dedication and expertise are essential to success. These exceptional individuals not only help elevate the company to new heights, but they also often form the creative driving force behind innovation and world-class results.
So how can you as a leader help your prima donnas excel while maintaining a harmonious work environment? That is precisely what we will explore in this blog post. We will dive into the essential strategies and tools for effective prime talent management that will help you get the best out of these exceptional talents and make them shine without becoming a burden.
So let's take a closer look at how you can create a harmonious symphony with your prima donnas and achieve outstanding results in your organization.
What is prima donne conduction?
Primadonnale conduction is a theory of managements of highly specialized employees, describing four distinct archetypes of such employees. These archetypes are the 'Primadonna', the 'Performance Tripper', the 'Pragmatist' and the 'Salarian'.
- Primadonnas: These employees see their work as a vocation and strive to make a difference in the service of a higher cause. They are driven by a strong sense of duty and want to achieve the highest standard in their work. They experience a deep satisfaction when they feel they are contributing to a greater cause.
- The performance tripper: These employees thrive on performing at a high level and experience an intense sense of satisfaction when they achieve good results. There are two types of achievement trippers: Extroverts who want recognition from others, and Introverts who focus on challenging themselves and solving complex tasks.
- The pragmatist: Pragmatists see work as part of their lives, but it is not their whole life. They want to perform their tasks well, but they also pay attention to maintaining a work-life balance.
- The wage earner: These employees see the work as a necessity to get paid and enjoy their free time. They focus on maximizing the reward for their work and will often do whatever is necessary to get the job done, but no more than that.
The theory was developed by Helle Hedegaard Hein and presented in the book”Primadonna management — when work is a calling.” The theory is developed through empirical field studies and uses a “grounded theory” methodthat incorporates observations and interviews to develop a theoretical framework for understanding management by highly specialized employees.
The Primadonnale management theory is an important resource for organizations and managers who work with highly specialized employees and want to optimize their performance and job satisfaction.
The important thing here is that understanding employees' motivational profiles helps managers adapt their management style and approaches to meeting the individual needs and expectations of employees. Failure to properly understand the motivation profile of employees can lead to conflicts and a failure to realize the full potential of employees.
What characterizes the prima donna?
Helle Hein's management theory took shape with the Royal Danish Theatre as a case study. While studying the dynamics of theatre, she noticed how certain performers were often wrongly categorized as hysterical by management. In reality, these artists were far from hysterical; they were simply driven by a deep passion for a larger vision.
This is one of the main characteristics of the prima donna. The prima donna is a person who sees his work as more than just a job assignment. Work feels like a vocation, a kind of personal mission where they want to make a positive difference for something that means a lot to them, even if it's outside their personal interests.
They have a strong sense of serving a higher cause, and they feel an obligation to deliver work at the highest level or even set new standards in their field. This commitment can be so strong that they are willing to take on challenges that may have personal costs.
The prima donna gets the most satisfaction out of the work when they actually see that their efforts are making a positive difference to the cause they are passionate about. This gives them a deep sense of meaning and satisfaction that goes beyond ordinary job satisfaction. They are driven by this cause, and although they do not experience the existential moments of meaning every day, they never forget them and can find joy in thinking back on them. If, for whatever reason, the prima donna feels that they cannot contribute to the higher cause, it can feel like they are failing in their life purpose, which can be very painful. In such cases, they will react forcefully and feel an obligation to defend that cause, even if it means conflict with managers or colleagues. This can lead to them being perceived as demanding or stubborn, even though in reality they are defending something they believe deeply in.
A certain group of employees who have a historical grounding in the idea of the vocation are professionals and specialists. Professions have traditionally been based on the idea of a vocation and a higher cause that the profession's members undertake to serve. This relationship between profession and vocation is built into the very word “profession”, which derives from Latin and means to publish a statement or confess something. So the primary motivation of the prima donna is to make a momentous difference to a higher cause, and this motivation is deeply rooted in their character.
The essence is that leading prima donnas can be a challenging task, but at the same time it is one of the most essential management tasks. This is because the prima donnas often form the core of the organisation and are crucial to its foundation of existence.
The primadonnas are those employees who possess exceptional talent, knowledge or skills, and they can be the driving force behind the success of the organization. They often represent the highest in their field and can attract attention, resources and opportunities to the organization. Their ability to create value and innovation cannot be underestimated.
How to get the best out of the prima donna
Effective leadership of prima donnas is not just a desirable quality in modern organizations; it is an absolute necessity. Prima donnas often form the core of innovative and expert-driven teams that deliver exceptional results.
While mismanagement at the beginning seems to pass unnoticed, as Primadonnas are often able to get by in spite of it, nevertheless in the long run it can become a problem that can have serious consequences for both the primadonnas and the organization as a whole. Helle Hein thus points out that if prima donnas are exposed to mismanagement, over time it can demotivate them and lead to a degradation of their dedication to work. This can result in them gradually slipping into the role that Helle Hein describes as 'the wage-earner'. For the organization, this transition from prima donna to 'wage-earner' represents a worrying development since, according to Hein, the 'wage-earner' is considered the worst form of pollution in the organization and goes significantly beyond the organization's ability to drive innovation and exceptional results.
Read about Strength-based leadership here.
That's why it's crucial to understand how to best lead prima donnas to maintain their motivation, commitment and expertise. It will not only benefit the prima donnas themselves, but also the organisation as a whole, as they form a vital part of its subsistence and success.
But then how to do it?
Here are our top tips on how to get the best out of your prima donnas:
- Provide free space and professional autonomy: Primadonnas thrive best when they have the space to exercise their expertise and make decisions in their field. Allow them to follow their creative impulses and experiment with innovative solutions.
- Identify the main tasks: Communicate clearly with the prima donna about the goals of the organization and the tasks that are essential to achieve them. It helps to avoid them focusing solely on the tasks they themselves find most interesting.
- Shield them from administrative work: To free up the prima donna's time for their core duties, consider assigning them an assistant or delegating routine administrative tasks to other employees.
- Evaluate the time spent: Ask yourself if the prima donna is spending their time effectively on tasks that are in line with the organization's goals. If they complain about wasted time, you should consider how you can optimize their work process or ease their burden.
- Create meaningful conversations: In employee development interviews (MUS), it is important to listen to the concerns and frustrations of the prima donna. Together, you must find ways to improve their work process and identify opportunities for further autonomy.
- Recognize their efforts: Praise the prima donna for their dedication and achievements. Recognizing their contribution will reinforce their commitment and encourage them to continue to deliver their best.
Read more: Recognizing Leadership: Creating a Positive & Motivated Workplace
Leading a prima donna requires patience and a deep understanding of their motivation and working methods. By adapting your management style to their needs, you can help them flourish while benefiting from their exceptional talents and contributions to the organization.
