Radical Candor: Communication at Work

Kim, Jason and Amy discuss how to make a decision after you've listened, clarified and debated your idea. Step 4 of the Get Shit Done Wheel, decide, is all about pushing the decisions into the facts. The Radical Candor Podcast team outlines 4 steps to follow when making decisions once you have shoved all ego — especially your own — out of the way. They also talk about the pitfalls of unconscious bias, the perils of skipping steps 1-3 and how to avoid garbage can decision-making. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy and Jason discuss managers who have low, almost non-existent involvement in their team’s work, aka absentee managers; those with extremely (maybe excruciatingly) close involvement, aka micromanagers; and thought partners — the ones who empower, enable and encourage their teams to do the best work of their lives. While a lot of us have tendencies to act in absentee or micromanager mode, it’s hard for us to want to look at ourselves that way. Listen to this episode if you want to understand how to be a true thought partner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We discuss the steps to follow for a successful debating process. If you skip the debate phase, you’ll make worse decisions, you’ll be unable to persuade everyone who needs to implement, and you’ll ultimately slow down or grind to a halt. Kim, Jason, Amy and producer Brandi discuss a time when a debate went awry and what they should have done instead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're welcoming back to the podcast Russ Laraway, author of the book When They Win, You Win: Being a Great Manager is Simpler Than You Think, coming out on June 7, 2022. You can pre-order it now! You likely know Russ best as the OG co-host with Kim of season one of the Radical Candor Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time for part two of how to clarify your thinking for yourself and others as part of the Get Sh*t Done Wheel (listen to part one). On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Kim, Jason and Amy discuss how to use staff meetings and think time as ways to clarify your ideas.Radical Candor Podcast Episode At a GlanceAn effective staff meeting has three goals: it reviews how things have gone the previous week, allows people to share important updates, and forces the team to clarify the most important decisions and debates for the coming week.That’s it. It shouldn’t be the place to have debates or make decisions. Your job is to establish a consistent agenda, insist that people stick to it, and corral people who go on for too long or who go off on tangents.Here’s the agenda that Kim has found to be most effective:Learn: review key metrics (20 minutes)Listen: put updates in a shared document (15 minutes)Clarify: identify key decisions & debates (30 minutes) In Radical Candor, Kim writes: “In addition to all your regularly planned meetings, people want to talk to you about this or that; urgent matters will arise that you must deal with. When are you supposed to find time to clarify your own thinking, or to help the people who work for you clarify theirs?”“My advice is that you schedule in some ‘Think Time’ [on your calendar], and hold that think time sacred. Let people know that they cannot ever schedule over it. Get really, seriously angry if they try. Encourage everyone on your team to do the same.”Radical Candor Podcast Checklist Avoid the fundamental attribution error by focusing on specifics, not attributes. Instead of saying (or thinking) “What an idiot,” be very clear about what went wrong. Try the CORE model — Context, Observation, Result, nExt stEps. Focus on helping the person fix the problem by providing specifics they can act on, rather than criticizing personality traits that they can’t alter. A well-run meeting can save you time by alerting you to problems, sharing updates efficiently, and getting you all on the same page about what the week’s shared priorities are. Remember, timeboxing is your friend. Take 20 minutes to learn, 15 minutes to listen and 30 minutes to clarify. Schedule Think Time away from your desk. Think Time is a mix of focused thinking and mind-wandering that allows for the kind of problem-solving, creativity and innovative mindset needed to tackle those difficult problems. Try taking a walk and removing distractions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once you have created a culture of listening, the next step in the Radical Candor Get Sh*t Done Wheel is to push yourself and your direct reports to understand and convey thoughts and ideas more clearly. Trying to solve a problem that hasn’t been clearly defined is not likely to result in a good solution; debating a half-baked idea is likely to discourage it. On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Kim, Jason and Amy discuss the two most important things to do when clarifying an idea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Communication and career tips abound in this series! Our next several episodes of the Radical Candor podcast are going to be shorter explorations of the nuts-and-bolts details about each step of the Get Shit Done Wheel. First up is listening. Kim, Jason and Amy discuss how to create a culture of listening because if you can get your team members to listen to one another, they’ll fix things that you as the boss didn’t even know were broken. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kim, Jason and Amy discuss one of the most perplexing management dilemmas you might experience: when a person who ought to be taking on more and more responsibility and performing better every day is instead doing the opposite. This person is doing excellent work on a steep growth trajectory — maybe they even want to be your boss someday — and you’ve put in charge of the most important work or assigned them to solve your most difficult problems because they’re just that good. So why are they flailing instead of flying? We’ve seen this happen for five different reasons. Plus, organizations we're supporting for humanitarian relief in Ukraine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we continue into 2022, or more accurately what feels like the third year of 2020, the mere idea of trying to get stuff done at work likely feels overwhelming. We've got you. On this episode of the Radical Candor Podcast, Kim, Jason and Amy talk about the Get Sh*t Done Wheel, a step-by-step process that can help make getting things accomplished much easier. The GSD Wheel has 7 steps: Listen, Clarify, Debate, Decide, Persuade, Execute and Learn. When run effectively, the GSD Wheel will enable your team to achieve more collectively than anyone could ever dream of achieving individually. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Radical Candor happens at the intersection Care Personally and Challenge Directly. On this mini-episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Kim tells the "Um Story," which outlines exactly what we mean when we say Care Personally and Challenge Directly. Kim explains why the feedback she received from her boss was so effective and led to even more success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Building a team is hard. But as we’re seeing now during the Great Resignation, failure to spend time building and investing in a team can have disastrous consequences. In order to be successful, this means developing people on both steep and gradual growth trajectories, or as we like to say at Radical Candor, people in both rockstar mode and superstar mode. On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Kim, Jason and Amy discuss how to balance growth and stability by developing people who are in both superstar and rock star modes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ruinous Empathy is what happens when you want to spare someone’s short-term feelings, so you don’t tell them something they need to know. You Care Personally, but fail to Challenge Directly. It’s praise that isn’t specific enough to help the person understand what was good, or criticism that is sugar-coated and unclear. Or simply silence. Ruinous Empathy may feel nice or safe, but is ultimately unhelpful and even damaging. This is a feedback fail. In this Radical Candor podcast mini-episode, Kim talks about the biggest feedback fail of her career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're in the market for a new job and you are lucky enough to have multiple offers, or you’re in a position where you can afford to wait for the right opportunity, you don’t have to pay the asshole tax. On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Kim, Jason and Amy talk about how to suss out whether your potential new boss is going to help you move toward the direction of your dreams or get in your way. Listen now to learn how to find a Radically Candid boss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is an order of operations to practicing the principles of Radical Candor. The first thing to do is to ask for criticism, especially if you’re the boss. But how can you do this in a way that's not awkward? On the latest mini-episode of the Radical Candor Podcast, Kim explains how to solicit feedback with a simple four-step process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve likely heard about the Great Resignation — perhaps you’re even one of the millions of people who’ve bid their jobs farewell over the past few months. On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Kim, Jason and Amy talk about how bad bosses, lack of transparency and poor communication are leading to a mass exodus of mid-level workers. How can you retain your team? Listen to find out how a series of small adjustments can help! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are a few things we suggest for folks looking to give Radically Candid Feedback, our HIP and CORE framework. Kim breaks it down on our latest mini-episode of the Radical Candor podcast. Here’s a way to think about how to be more kind and clear with criticism and more specific and sincere with praise. Radical Candor is HIP: Humble, Helpful, Immediate, In person (or on video), Private criticism / Public praise and Not about Personality. Radically Candid praise and criticism both include caring and a challenge. In order to make sure your praise tells the other person what was good and shows them what to do more of and your criticism shows them what to do less of, use the CORE method. C — Context (Cite the specific situation), O — Observation (Describe what was said or done), R — Result (What is the most meaningful consequence to you and to them?) E — nExt stEps (What are the expected next steps?). Read the show notes >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a lot easier to lead by example than it is to change other people’s behavior. If you want to encourage feedback between the people on your team or at your organization, you’re going to have to create an environment where people feel safe and encouraged to give real feedback. On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Kim, Jason and Amy talk about how to encourage feedback between others so you can keep this whole Radical Candor thing going after you've read the book, listened to a keynote or taken a workshop. Read the show notes >>Show the Radical Candor store >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When giving feedback, you should expect emotion. Even when you don’t personalize, it’s personal. That’s why you should eliminate the phrase, “Don’t take it personally” from your vocabulary. In this Radical Candor podcast mini-episode, Kim explains why It’s futile to say in response to emotion, “Don’t take it personally!” Part of your job as a boss (and as a human being) is to deal with emotional responses, not to dismiss them or pretend they’re not there or avoid them. View the show notes >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We get a lot of questions about how folks can practice Radical Candor with their bosses as many people are reluctant to give feedback to their managers. It's true that it can be really daunting, and a little risky, to practice Radical Candor with your boss, but it’s such an important skill. If you can share feedback with your boss, you’ll have a much stronger working relationship, enjoy your work more, and be able to do better work together. So, how do you do it? On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast Kim, Jason and Amy discuss clearing the cruft and the art of upwards feedback. View the show notes >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Amy and Jason discuss what Kim refers to in Radical Candor as “the problem with passion.” You’ve likely heard some form of the phrase, “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” But, should your job and your passion be the same thing? What’s more, is it a manager’s responsibility to ensure each person who reports to them is passionate about their position? Listen to find out! Read the show notes >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most everyone has had a boss who failed at performance development⁠—helping people on their team grow and move forward in their careers. The way you think about developing the skills of the people in your organization and how you think about performance management must be aligned. It is a manager’s job to both help each person on their team develop and grow in their career, and also to transparently assessing the performance of each person, commonly called performance management. On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Kim, Amy and Jason talk about why you can’t have effective performance reviews if you’re not also practicing performance development. Read the show notes >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to research from Gallup, less than 15% of managers feel confident that the feedback they provide to employees is effective and only 26% of employees say the feedback they receive from their managers is helpful. Sound familiar? If you're forgetting the helpful part of Radical Candor, your feedback is probably falling flat. On the second mini-episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Kim explains why Radical Candor is helpful and talks about the helpful feedback she got from a complete stranger that gave her words to live by: It's not mean, it's clear. Read the show notes >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With more teams working remotely over the past year than ever before, we've received a few questions from folks about how to practice Radical Candor in remote workplaces. On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Kim, Jason and Amy talk about how to give feedback to remote employees, what works for the remote Radical Candor team and why it's important to allow your workers time to grieve and heal from the trauma of the past 18 months. Read the show notes >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the Radical Candor podcast's first mini-episode. We'll be posting these bite-sized 5-10 minute mini Radical Candor podcast episodes between regular episodes. These quick hits will feature Kim Scott, Radical Candor author and co-founder, giving actionable tips that allow you to put specific parts of Radical Candor into action immediately. In this first mini-episode, Kim breaks down the principles of Radical Candor in six minutes. Radical Candor is Caring Personally while Challenging Directly. At its core, Radical Candor is guidance and feedback that’s both kind and clear, specific and sincere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Workplace Bullying Institute describes workplace bullying as: “Repeated mistreatment of an employee by one or more employees; abusive conduct that is: threatening, humiliating, or intimidating, work sabotage, or verbal abuse.” In its 2021 survey, the WBI noted that 43% of remote employees reported being bullied at work with 50% of that bullying taking place in meetings. On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Kim, Amy and Jason talk about combatting bullying in remote work environments. See the show notes >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you ever wonder how the feedback you give others is landing? How about your reaction to the feedback you're receiving? This giving-and-getting feedback stuff can be tricky. On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Amy and Jason talk about how to gauge feedback. In other words, how does the feedback that you give land for the other person? One of the things that we'd like to say is that Radical Candor is measured, not at the speaker's mouth, but at the listener's ear. And, this applies to the feedback you give as well as the feedback you get. Read the show notes >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, we're bringing back our Radically Candid Conversations series. Amy talks to Kim Scott about her new book Just Work: Get Sh*t Done, Fast & Fair , and her new company Just Work that she's launching with Trier Bryant. Kim and Trier break down how to recognize, address and eliminate bias, prejudice and bullying in the workplace to create more just working environments. Buy the book, learn about the company and listen to the podcast to learn why just work environments aren't just the right thing to do, they're also good for business. Read the show notes, order the book and download the transcript >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Amy and Jason discuss why it's so important to share your stories with your team. Show some vulnerability. Your personal stories will explain, better than any management theory, what you really mean and show why you really mean it. That’s why Kim tells all those personal stories in Radical Candor. Your stories will mean a lot more to your team than other people’s stories do because they mean something to you. So, what makes a good story, and what's appropriate to share? Amy and Jason break it down. See the transcript and show notes: https://www.radicalcandor.com/podcast/share-your-radical-candor-stories/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kim writes in Radical Candor that Apple CEO Tim Cook is a master of silence, a quiet listener. She describes Steve Jobs as a loud listener. What's the difference between quiet and loud listening? On the first episode of the Radical Candor podcast season 3, Kim, Jason and Amy debate the merits of both loud and quiet listening Kim experienced firsthand while working with Steve Jobs and Tim Cook at Apple. Is quiet listening creepy? Is loud listening aggressive? Listen to the Radical Candor podcast to find out! Read the show notes for actionable Radical Candor tips and more information about quiet and loud listening: https://www.radicalcandor.com/podcast/quiet-or-loud-listener Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you’re the one getting emotional or you’re giving someone feedback and they react with unexpected emotion, it’s important to recognize that while you can’t control or manage other people’s emotions, you can manage your emotional reactions at work. On the final episode of season 2 of the Radical Candor podcast, Kim, Amy and Jason talk about how to navigate emotional reactions at work. The worst thing you can do is ignore emotional reactions. Emotions like anger, sadness and fear are part of the human condition, and people shouldn’t have to leave their humanity at home when they come to work.We’re offering Radical Candor podcast listeners 10% off our self-paced e-course and workplace comedy series, The Feedback Loop, starring Kim Scott and David Alan Grier. Go to radicalcandor.com/services and enter the promo code FEEDBACK at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can you get your employees more engaged at work if they're not invested in the company long term, and is it your obligation to be Radically Candid with a peer at work who you know is lying? On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Amy and Jason answer listener questions, discuss their stints working in food service (their experiences involve mayonnaise and organized crime) and muse whether or not people can be more like Clay Christensen. See the show notes: www.radicalcandor.com/podcast/peer-to-peer-feedback/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Manipulative Insincerity is what happens when you neither Care Personally nor Challenge Directly. It’s praise that is non-specific and insincere, or criticism that is neither clear nor kind. It’s the kind of backstabbing, political, passive aggressive behavior that might be fun to tell stories about but makes for a toxic workplace, ruining relationships and ruining work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our podcast series, “Radically Candid Conversations,” features experts and guests who help us learn, reflect and put our insights into action. This episode of the Radical Candor podcast features Debora Spar, a Harvard Business School professor and former Barnard College president. Kim talks to Debora about her new book Work Mate Marry Love: How Machines Shape Our Human Destiny. Kim and Debora discuss the intersections of technology and human relationships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kim and Jason answer listener questions and share their experiences about being a boss who's younger than their direct reports and having their wings clipped by an absentee manager who isn't invested in their success. They also agree that chair-throwing management styles aren't an effective way to get things done (as Kim learned when she threw her bike helmet at a window when dealing with a bad boss at a former job). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our podcast series, “Radically Candid Conversations,” features experts and guests who will help us learn, reflect and put our insights into action. This episode features Annie Jean-Baptiste, head of product inclusion at Google and author of Building For Everyone: Expand Your Market With Design Practices From Google's Product Inclusion Team. Kim and Annie discuss how to build inclusive products, teams and experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If someone has approached you and said, "In the spirit of Radical Candor ..." and then proceeded to act like a total jerk, you've experienced how some people use Radical Candor to justify being their worst selves. This behavior is not Radical Candor; it's what we call Obnoxious Aggression. Kim, Jason and Amy agree that nobody should have to pay the asshole tax or work for a seagull swoop-and-poop boss. They also explain why Radical Candor is actually compassionate candor versus a license to act like a jerk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're a boss, 1:1 meetings with your direct reports are a must-do. The purpose of a 1:1 meeting is to listen and clarify — to understand what direction each person working for you wants to head in, and what is blocking them. These meetings are your single best opportunity to listen, really listen, to the people on your team to make sure you understand their perspective on what’s working and what’s not working. On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Kim, Amy and Jason share tips about how to have effective 1:1s, even when you can't be together in person, and Kim sings a few notes from the Hall and Oats song "One On One." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Being the boss doesn’t mean you automatically get respect from people, but the authority does have an automatic impact on what people will say to you. Unfortunately, people are primed to mistrust you based on all the preconceived notions against bosses. As the boss, you’ll tend to get more flattery than critical feedback that can help you learn and grow. Kim, Jason and Amy talk about how bosses can get real talk from employees by asking a go-to question. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kim, Jason and Amy discuss how doing less can lead to more success. Kim recommends creating a proactive forbearance list where you list all of the things you're not going to do. Instead of feeling guilty about not doing the things on your list, celebrate them. This allows you to focus on the things you actually need to get done now. In addition, Jason explains the spoon theory and Amy talks Radical Dandor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Radical Candor readers regularly reach out to us for advice about how to Care Personally and Challenge Directly. On this episode, Amy and Jason shed some light on how to give upwards feedback, how to give feedback to direct reports without making them develop a fear of coffee, how introverts can manage expectations about impromptu feedback, and how to Care Personally about someone you have nothing in common with. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our new podcast series, “Radically Candid Conversations,” features experts and guests who will help us learn, reflect, and put our insights into action. Our second episode features Tiffani Lee, a partner at the law firm Holland & Knight, who recently wrote in an article about addressing racial injustice for Law360: "Our response to the grave injustice of this moment must be informed by Radical Candor." In this discussion, Kim and Tiffani explore how practicing Radical Candor can be a helpful framing when addressing systemic racism; why it’s so important to have the difficult conversations so many of us were trained not to have in the workplace; the importance of metrics and storytelling in creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace; and what we all can learn, whatever industry we’re in, from lawyers and law firms working to create more just workplaces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our first discussion with Kim Scott and Dr. A. Breeze Harper, Ph.D., a diversity and inclusion strategist, antiracism scholar and facilitator, explores how to practice Radical Candor when addressing systemic racism; the historical origins and research-based understanding of white, racialized consciousness; what it means to be antiracist and how to practice anti-racism, and how we can be antiracist leaders, parents and citizens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In its most basic form, Radical Candor is a framework to facilitate communication that is kind, clear, specific and sincere. It’s about being able to Care Personally and Challenge Directly at the same time. While this kind of communication is always important for building trust and maintaining relationships, it’s even more important during a crisis when anxieties are heightened and everything is uncertain. Kim, Jason and Amy unpack how to Challenge Directly during a crisis without losing your humanity. Go to www.radicalcandor.com/podcast/challenging-during-a-crisis for comprehensive show notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even though we're physically distant at work, that doesn't mean we can't cultivate caring and candid relationships with peers, managers and direct reports. On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Kim, Jason and Amy talk about how to effectively check in with teams of all sizes while working remotely. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Radical Candor author and co-founder Kim Scott talks with Kelly Leonard, executive director of insights and applied improvisation at Second City Works and author of the book, Yes, And: Lessons from The Second City, talk about how an improv mindset coupled with practicing Radical Candor can help managers lead remote teams with kindness and clarity during times of uncertainty. This special discussion is moderated by Radical Candor CEO Jason Rosoff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The purpose of feedback is to help people find more success, so it’s CRAZY to think it’s only the manager’s job to give feedback. It’s everyone’s job! In this episode, Kim and Russ share stories and advice for giving feedback to your peers… and avoiding the pitfalls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you ever get so caught up in achieving results at work that you forget that the people around you are real people? Even the most empathetic of us can make this mistake. This episode, Kim and Russ are joined by guest Al Guido, President of the San Francisco 49ers, to share stories and advice for putting the human back in human resources. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Building a great team is critical for bosses, but how do you bring on the right people? Interviewing and hiring is so hard to do — in this episode, Kim and Russ share some of their mistakes, what they’ve learned, and advice for a better hiring process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Absentee managers may not be as frustrating as micromanagers, but they’re even more common and can have a negative impact on your career. Kim and Russ share stories of absentee managers, talk about whether to just make do with this type of boss, and give their tips for what to do when you find yourself with an absentee manager. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you know if management is right for you? Maybe you’re thinking about becoming a boss, or you’re already a boss but aren’t sure you want to be. Kim and Russ are joined by guest Hunter Walk, Partner at Homebrew, to share stories and advice for making this decision. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices