ELECTRONICALLY REPRINTED FROM APRIL 2011

INSIGHT. ADVICE. STRATEGY:

_"-----_L_e_S_I_ie_W_._B_r_a_k_S_i_C_k_,_P_h_"O_"---.J

®

PITTSBURGH

WHO PUMPS THE PUMPER?How to motivate the leaders that motivate you

Ionce gave a scintillatingtalk to 500 company leaderson the power of feedback.

Scientifically, feedback is themost powerful motivator ofperformance, I explained - evenmore powerful than money.I shared case examples ofproductivity increases in diversesettings - from chemical plantsto railroads to insurance claim

processing centers- achieved andsustained simplyvia supervisorsgiving their directreports feedback ontheir performance.Supervisorsgave praise forperformancethat met orexceeded goalsand constructivedialogue whenperformance wasoff-target.

I underscoredthe key features ofeffective feedback- immediacy,specificity andsincerity - soevery leader therecould be even more

effective with their teams goingforward. To cap my remarks, Isaid, "Recall the impact you feltwhen your boss took time toshare about your performanceof something important to thebusiness - and how powerful itwas to get praise from someoneyou respected." I wanted tomake sure these leaders neverunderestimated the power behindtheir greatest leadership weapon:feedback to their people.

After my talk, a distinguished

gentleman approached thepodium - the companychairman. He must have left hissmile at his seat; I vividly recallthat it was nowhere nearby.

"Leslie," he said in a scoldingtone. "I enjoyed your talk verymuch - in fact, I agree with justabout every point you made."He went on: "It's clear that whatyou shared is backed by thescience of behavior and decadesof experience and success. But Ihave one question for you: Whopumps the pumper?"

Huh? I looked at him quizzically.He repeated: "I want to knowwho pumps the pumper?"

That one took me a minute.Then it clicked. He meant, "Whomotivates the leader? Who tellsthe boss when he or she doesa great job?" From the lookon his face, this was not just aphilosophical question. Herewas a man who sat at the top ofhis organization's pyramid, andI guessed that he had probablygone a long, long time withouthearing much praise for hisefforts. His question seemedto come from a deep place ofpersonal experience.

So, who does pump thepumper?

We can say it's the board's roleto encourage and motivate theCEO/president. But in this case,he was chairman - so there wasno one higher.

Again: Who pumps the pumper?The answer is quite simple,

actually: We pump the pumper.Or we should. It's UP to vou and

me, regardless of our role or levelin the company. But it doesn'thappen often enough.

Time and again, my CEO clientshave shared powerful stories ofhow much it meant to them toget an e-mail, voice mail, phonecall or handwritten note from anemployee, co-worker or directreport, thanking them - tellingthem of the positive impactof something they said or did.And I can tell you these CEOsnever qualify their exuberancebecause the "praiser" was lowerin the organization. Actually,their puffed chests were biggerbecause the praise came from ajunior person in the company.

The top leaders and executivesof companies, "the pumpers,"go for long periods without anyfeedback or praise for all theydo. And when they do get it, theyare deeply touched and highlymotivated. We expect them tohave the energy and motivationto pump everyone else - but weneed to be better at doing our jobof pumping them.

So, who pumps the pumper?We all do. Don't assume that

senior leaders in your companyknow how much you appreciateall that they do. Tell them. Tellthem often. «

--6>LESLIE W. BRAKSICK is co-founder of CLG Inc. (www.clg.com) and author of "Preparing CEOsfor Success: What I Wish I Knew" (2010) and "Unlock Behavior, Unleash Profits" (2006). Braksickcoaches and consults with top executives and their boards on issues of strategy execution, leadershipeffectiveness and executive succession. Reach her at Ibraksick@clg.com.

© 2011 Smart Business Network, Inc. Posted with permission from Smart Business Pittsburgh. www.sbnonline.com. All rights reserved.For more information on the use of this content, contact Wright's Media at 877-652-5295

77527