How to Practice Radical Candor With Your Boss 3 | 9
On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast Kim, Jason and Amy discuss clearing the cruft and the art of upward feedback. It's true that it can be...
3 min read
Brandi Neal Aug 5, 2020 11:59:41 PM
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. On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, 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.
Listen to the episode:
The whole point of Radical Candor is that it really is possible to Care Personally and Challenge Directly at the same time. We can break free of a false dichotomy that leaves too many people feeling they have to choose between being a jerk and being incompetent.
That’s a terrible choice, and nobody has to make it. In fact, if you really care personally about somebody, you will tell them if you think they are making a mistake — and when they are doing something great.
Radical Candor happens at the intersection of Care Personally and Challenge Directly. Care Personally means that you care about the other person, not about whether you are winning a popularity contest. Challenge Directly means that you share your perspective and invite the other person to do the same.
Radical Candor is actually Compassionate Candor. It engages the heart (Care Personally) and the mind (Challenge Directly). Unfortunately, the phrase “Radical Candor” doesn’t communicate that to everyone. (You can read more about Compassionate Candor in the fully revised and updated edition of Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity.)
It's important to know that there is a world of difference between Radical Candor and brutal honesty, or as we call it, Obnoxious Aggression.
Obnoxious Aggression is what happens when you challenge someone directly, but don’t care about them personally. It’s being clear, but not kind; praise that doesn’t feel sincere or criticism that isn’t delivered kindly. Obnoxious Aggression is also called “brutal honesty” or “front stabbing.” This is often how the seagull swoop-and-poop boss behaves. They barge in, crap all over everything.
Helpful framing for productive feedback conversations is the Center for Creative Leadership’s SBI Model.
Improvising Radical Candor, a partnership between Radical Candor and Second City Works, introduces The Feedback Loop (think Groundhog Day meets The Office), a 5-episode workplace comedy series starring David Alan Grier that brings to life Radical Candor’s simple framework for navigating candid conversations.
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; and after-episode action plans you can put into practice immediately.
We’re offering Radical Candor podcast listeners 10% off the self-paced e-course. Follow this link and enter the promo code FEEDBACK at checkout.
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