Get the Most Out of Overachievers

You know the type: the account exec who stays until midnight to finish next month's sales presentation; the product manager who gets as much done in five hours as others do in eight; the programmer who codes a new application on his day off. They're called overachievers, and no business could run without them.

But while overachieving employees can often prove to be miracle workers, they also present challenges for the folks who manage them. Our crash course on how to manage overachievers will give you practical advice for the care and feeding of your star employees. We also asked managers at Xerox, IBM, and Lycos for their tips on keeping top performers on track. And lastly, we examined the five warning signs of an overachiever who's in danger of going too far in the pursuit of success.

Update: Executive coach Caty Everett tells you how you can help success-oriented employees become high-achieving team members instead of overachieving individuals.