Radical Respect: What Are Your Roles and Responsibilities Regarding Injustice at Work?
Whenever injustice at work happens, you will play at least one of four different roles: person harmed, upstander, person who caused harm, or leader....
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Radical Candor author and co-founder Kim Scott announced the launch of her new book, Radical Respect: How to Work Together Better (St. Martin’s Griffin | May 7, 2024 | $19) at SXSW.
The word respect has two very different meanings. The first has to do with admiration for someone’s abilities, qualities, or achievements. That kind of admiration has to be earned. But that’s not what Kim Scott is talking about in Radical Respect.
The definition of respect she uses is a regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, and traditions of others. This kind of respect is something we owe to everyone; it is not something that needs to be “earned.”
The kind of respect that is the birthright of every human being is crucial to a healthy culture. We don’t have to respect a person’s opinion on a particular topic—we can disagree, vehemently.
We don’t have to respect a particular action a person took—we can still disapprove and hold them accountable.
But we do have to respect that person as a human being if we want to be able to work together productively while also leaving space to disagree and hold each other accountable when necessary.
This book tackles serious issues with clarity and humor to highlight smart steps that we can all take to combat discrimination and promote fairness.” —Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife
This kind of respect is radical because it’s rare. Radical Respect happens in workplaces that do two things at the same time:
Following the success of her revolutionary New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity, Scott’s latest work promises to revolutionize how individuals navigate workplace interactions and foster environments of mutual respect.
Radical Respect is not only the prequel to Radical Candor, it’s a radical (much shorter) rewrite of Scott’s 2021 book, Just Work, focusing on the practical, tactical things that each of us can do to create the kind of workplace we long for.
Kim Scott does it again! There are so many books about loving your work—but so few about how to love the people you work with. This beautifully written, wise and practical guide shows us how both are possible. Radical Respect is for anyone who has wondered whether it is possible to create a workplace that supports both belonging and individuality." —Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of Grit
Drawing from her extensive experience and candid anecdotes from her career, Scott presents a simple yet powerful framework designed to identify and address obstacles to collaboration and respect in professional settings.
“Organizations that prioritize collaboration and honor individuality are more successful and foster a sense of fulfillment and joy among their members,” says Scott. “Radical Respect equips readers with the tools they need to build such environments and unleash their full potential.”
Whether you’re a team leader, a seasoned professional, or someone just starting their career, Radical Respect is an essential resource for anyone looking to foster a culture of mutual respect and collaboration in the workplace.
Radical Respect left me optimistic that we can create just workplaces. Kim Scott carefully explains how bias, prejudice and bullying undermine all organizations—even those with the best of intentions—and provides an actionable system for countering each. Her acknowledgment that none of us—herself included—are free of this behavior marks an important starting point for a difficult but necessary conversation." —Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, Harvard University
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Radical Respect is Kim Scott's 2024 book focused on creating workplaces that optimize for collaboration over coercion and honor individuality instead of demanding conformity. While Radical Candor is about how to give and receive feedback as a manager, Radical Respect is actually a prequel to it — and a shorter, more practical rewrite of Scott's 2021 book Just Work. It zeroes in on the tactical steps every person can take to combat discrimination and build a culture of mutual respect.
Scott draws a clear distinction between two meanings of respect. The first is admiration for someone's achievements — something that has to be earned. The second, which is what Radical Respect is built on, is a regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, and traditions of others — something owed to every human being automatically. You don't have to agree with someone's opinions or approve of their actions, but you do have to respect their fundamental humanity if you want to work together productively.
Scott calls it radical because it's genuinely rare in practice. Despite being a basic human right, this type of unconditional regard for others is frequently absent from workplaces. Radical Respect happens when organizations simultaneously do two things: optimize for collaboration rather than coercion, and honor individuality rather than demanding conformity. Because so few workplaces actually achieve both at the same time, the concept is radical — not in theory, but in execution.
The book is written for a broad audience — team leaders, seasoned professionals, and people just starting their careers. Essentially, if you work with other people and want to help build a healthier, fairer culture, it's relevant to you. Scott's framework is designed to help readers identify and address obstacles to collaboration and respect, regardless of their role or seniority level.
According to endorser Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Scott carefully explains how bias, prejudice, and bullying undermine organizations — even well-intentioned ones — and provides an actionable system for countering each. Importantly, Scott acknowledges that none of us, herself included, are free of these behaviors. That self-awareness is framed as a necessary starting point for the difficult but essential conversations the book encourages.
Three ways to put this into practice.
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