You might think that giving and getting feedback should be simple, right? Why would you need a feedback workshop? At Radical Candor we like to say that radically candid feedback is a simple concept that’s not easy to put into practice.
The most successful leaders know that feedback is an invaluable tool to help them grow, both personally and professionally. They also know that being skilled at getting and giving effective feedback is more difficult than it seems.
Unfortunately, our social conditioning as human beings can cause us to hold back when we should be offering and soliciting feedback. There are two main reasons this happens:
Your entire working life you’ve been told to be professional. Too often, that’s code for leaving your humanity at home. To build strong relationships, you have to Care Personally about the people you work with.
Since you learned to talk you’ve likely been told some version of, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Then you become the boss and the very thing you’ve been taught not to do since you were 18 months old is suddenly your job. To succeed as a leader, you have to be willing to Challenge Directly. To tell people things that may be uncomfortable to say but that they’d be better off knowing.
Challenging people is often the best way to show you care. It does not mean that whatever you think is the truth; it means you share your (humble) opinions directly.
This can be as simple as showing enough vulnerability to admit when you’re having a bad day, and creating a safe place for others to do the same.
Radical Candor’s feedback workshops can help you, your team and your company undo a lifetime of conditioning so you can confidently give and get criticism that’s kind and clear, and praise that’s specific and sincere.
What Are Feedback Workshops?
Feedback workshops are structured sessions that provide a platform for individuals to give and receive feedback in a controlled, psychologically safe environment.
These workshops are designed to facilitate honest and effective communication, allowing participants to gain insights into their strengths and weaknesses. Here’s why feedback workshops are so vital.
Feedback Workshops Offer a Safe Environment to Practice Skills
One of the key benefits of Radical Candor’s feedback workshops is the opportunity for teams to try out real-life scenarios and put the principles of Radical Candor into practice.
Our workshops are designed to help teams build more caring and candid relationships at work, developing high-performing cultures based on trust and collaboration.
Feedback Workshops Enhance Self-Awareness
We like to say that feedback is not measured at the speaker’s mouth but at the listener’s ear.
Feedback workshops help individuals become more self-aware and encourage them to gauge how what they’re saying and doing is landing for others.
This increased self-awareness is the first step toward personal growth and improvement.
Feedback Workshops Improve Communication Skills
Feedback workshops are an excellent way to improve communication skills.
Participants learn to express their thoughts and observations clearly and effectively using the Radical Candor HIP and CORE models.
Additionally, they gain insight into how to listen actively and respond to feedback with curiosity instead of anger.
Feedback Workshops Accelerate Professional Development
In a professional setting, feedback workshops can significantly contribute to personal growth and career development.
By understanding their strengths and areas for improvement, individuals can tailor their professional development plans and set realistic goals for advancement.
Feedback Workshops Strengthen Team Dynamics
Feedback workshops are also beneficial for improving team dynamics. In a workplace, effective communication is critical to successful collaboration.
Team members who understand how to provide and receive feedback can foster a more cohesive and productive work environment.
“After the Radical Candor training, I had an employee come to me and say, ‘I can see a total change in my manager. I went from barely speaking to him to meeting with him regularly” says Christine Nicholl, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Organizational Development & DEI Officer.
“The relationship has completely improved. I went from being uncertain about my future at Heitman to now being confident that I can fulfill my career goals.’”
Types of Radical Candor Feedback Workshops
The Radical Candor Keynote
Radical Candor author Kim Scott, or a trained Candor Coach, will introduce key Radical Candor concepts, providing tips and tactics to get you started on your Radical Candor journey.
Through relatable personal stories, we provide your team with a framework and a shared vocabulary to help them improve their feedback and create a culture of guidance based on the key Radical Candor principles: Caring Personally and Challenging Directly.
The Talk scales up for audiences of over 1,000 and scales down for smaller groups to an intimate, fun and interactive discussion. We are currently offering virtual and in-person talks.
Radical Candor Interactive Feedback Workshops
Our immersive virtual and in-person workshops allow you to put Radical Candor into practice by teaching you to successfully solicit, give, gauge and encourage feedback.
Through storytelling, we introduce you to the core concepts, a shared vocabulary and tips and techniques that demonstrate to your team how Radical Candor can become an integral part of their success at work.
Real-life scenarios provide opportunities to practice in a supportive environment so your team has a clear understanding of how to put Radical Candor into action right away.
Train-the-Trainer Workshop
Facilitate certified Radical Candor workshops within your organization using our copyrighted training materials. One of our Radical Candor experts will train up to 20 people to deliver Radical Candor workshops during this workshop.
Radical Candor Content Licensing
Get unlimited access to our Radical Candor copyrighted content, including training decks and workshop materials, to use across your organization. The annual fee is scaled based on the size of your company.
Learn From the Expert
Embark on an hour-long animated learning adventure with the Radical Candor expert Kim Scott. Kim will guide learners through 10 snack-sized sections explaining how to apply the principles of Radical Candor and how to avoid feedback fails.
Knowledge checks at the end of each section reinforce this new set of communication skills that can be implemented immediately. Available for companies with their own LMS.
The Feedback Loop: A Workplace Comedy Series
Radical Candor and Second City Works introduce The Feedback Loop (think Groundhog Day meets The Office), a 5-episode workplace comedy series that brings Radical Candor’s feedback framework to life.
You’ll get an hour of hilarious content about a team whose feedback fails are costing them business; improv-inspired exercises to teach everyone the skills they need to work better together; after-episode action plans you can put into practice immediately.
The program easily scales across in-person and remote organizations. Individual licenses start at $149 a person.
To make the most of feedback workshops, consider these strategies:
Create Clear Objectives: Define the purpose and goals of the workshop. What do you want participants to achieve? Clear objectives guide the content and structure of the session.
Use Skilled Facilitators: Having skilled facilitators is crucial. They can guide the session, ensure feedback is kind, clear, specific and sincere, and create a safe atmosphere for participants. At Radical Candor, each feedback workshop is led by a trained Candor Coach.
Never Stop Learning: Feedback workshops shouldn’t be one-time events. Being good at feedback takes practice. You can maintain your momentum with the Radical Candor podcast, the Radical Candor Practice Playbook, by starting a Radical Candor book club and using our free discussion guide, working with an accountability partner and lots of other Radical Candor resources that will help you build your feedback muscle.
Feedback workshops are a powerful tool for enhancing personal and professional growth. They provide a structured and supportive environment for individuals to learn about themselves, improve their communication skills and foster positive relationships within teams.
By embracing feedback workshops, we can unlock our potential and continually evolve, both as individuals and as contributors to our workplaces and communities.
A professional writer, editor, storyteller and content strategist with more than 15 years of experience, Brandi Neal is the director of content creation and marketing and the podcast producer for Radical Candor. Some of the stranger things she has done include walking on fire (twice), hiking to the top of an active volcano in the middle of the night, hanging from the wing of an airplane (and letting go) and participating in an impala dung-spitting contest, which is just as gross as it sounds. In a movie of her life, she wants to be played by Stana Katic.
