Alright, let’s get into how I put together these ‘rising star’ rosters. It wasn’t some big official company thing, more of a personal practice I found useful over time, especially when figuring out who might be ready for more responsibility or who just had that spark.
Starting Point
It usually began pretty informally. I’d be working on a project or just observing the team day-to-day. You start noticing things, right? Who steps up without being asked? Who seems genuinely curious and tries to learn new stuff? Who helps others out when they’re stuck? These little things catch your eye.
So, the first real step was just making a mental note. Or sometimes, literally jotting names down in a notebook or a simple text file. Nothing fancy. Just a name and maybe a quick thought on why they stood out that day or that week.
Figuring Out the ‘Why’
After a while, I realized just having names wasn’t enough. I needed some kind of rough criteria. What actually makes someone a ‘rising star’ in my book? It wasn’t about who was loudest or who just agreed with everything. I started thinking more concretely:
- Problem Solving: Do they try to figure things out themselves before asking for help? Do they come with potential solutions, not just problems?
- Initiative: Do they volunteer for tasks? Do they see something broken or inefficient and suggest a way to fix it?
- Learning Attitude: Are they asking good questions? Do they take feedback well and actually use it? Are they trying to pick up new skills?
- Team Play: Are they collaborative? Do they share information? Do they support their colleagues?
- Consistency: Is this standout behavior regular, or just a one-off? Consistency was pretty key for me.
It wasn’t a super strict checklist. More like guiding thoughts. I didn’t want to make it overly complicated. It was more about the overall pattern of behavior.
The Observation Phase
With these ideas in mind, I’d consciously observe people over weeks, sometimes months. Watching actions, not just listening to talk. Talk is cheap, as they say. Seeing someone actually do the work, handle a tricky situation well, or mentor a newer team member – that’s what solidified their place on my informal list.
I also made it a point to chat with others, like other team leads or managers I trusted. Casually, you know. “Hey, what do you think about how Sarah handled that client issue?” or “Noticed John’s been digging into the new database system.” Just gathering different perspectives without making it a formal review.
Building the Actual Roster
Eventually, I’d refine the list. Some names might drop off if the initial spark didn’t turn into consistent performance. New names would get added. I tried to keep it relatively small and focused. This wasn’t about listing everyone who was doing their job okay; it was about those showing potential for more.
The ‘roster’ itself was usually just a simple document. Name, a few bullet points on why they stood out (linking back to my criteria like ‘Took initiative on Project X’, ‘Helped onboard new dev’, ‘Consistently good problem-solver’). Maybe a note on potential next steps or areas they could grow into.
What I Used It For
This wasn’t for playing favorites. It was a tool. When a challenging new project came up, I’d look at the list. Who’s ready for a stretch assignment? When we needed someone to lead a small feature team, the list gave me ideas. It also helped me think about who might benefit from specific mentoring or training.
It was about readiness and potential. Having that list helped me make more thoughtful decisions about opportunities and development, rather than just going with gut feeling in the moment or picking the person who shouted loudest.
So yeah, that’s basically the process. Started small, defined what I was looking for based on actual actions, observed consistently, gathered some feedback, and kept a simple, updated list. It felt more grounded in reality than just relying on performance reviews alone.
