Achieving Better Performance Through Radical Candor
Today, we’re diving into the concept of radical candor and how it can motivate and encourage performance in your employees. Radical candor is about providing direct, challenging feedback while also showing that you care and support your team members. Let’s explore how you can effectively implement radical candor in your organization to help your employees achieve their goals with less time and less stress.
The Three Roles of Leadership
Before we delve into radical candor, let’s revisit the three most important rules of leadership. Number one, find the right people and put them in the right seats. Number two, provide direction and strategy. Number three, implement the right execution practices. Today, we’re focusing on motivating and inspiring employees to perform by striking a balance between providing challenging feedback and showing support and care.
The Radical Candor Model
To implement radical candor effectively, we can look at two key axes: challenging directly and caring personally. The goal is to find the balance in the top right-hand corner, where you challenge directly while also showing that you care personally. This balance is essential for fostering a culture of high performance and continuous improvement.
Implementing Radical Candor
To implement radical candor in your organization, start by modeling the behavior yourself. Ask for feedback from your employees on how you can improve as a leader. Share the radical candor model with your team and explain what you’re trying to achieve. Encourage your team members to practice radical candor with each other and provide feedback on their efforts.
Practical Tips for Radical Candor
When providing feedback, remember to focus on the behavior or situation, not the person. Describe the impact of the behavior and ask for permission to provide feedback. Make sure your feedback is purposeful, gentle, and timely. Show that you care by showing interest in their personal lives, remembering birthdays, and supporting their goals outside of work.
Supporting Your Employees Beyond Work
To truly motivate and encourage your employees for better performance, it’s essential to show interest in their lives outside of work. Remembering birthdays, asking about and reinforcing good self-care practices, and showing support in meetings are simple yet effective ways to demonstrate that you care about their well-being. Positive recognition, such as catching people doing things right, can also go a long way in boosting morale. Consider scheduling one-on-one lunches or walks to connect with your employees on a personal level and support them in their personal goals. Allowing your employees to set deadlines, especially when not urgent, can empower them and foster a sense of ownership. Additionally, checking in with one front-line employee per week without any agenda other than to connect can show that you value their input and well-being. These actions not only help improve performance but also create a supportive and positive work environment.
Conclusion
Implementing radical candor in your organization can lead to better performance, higher accountability, and a more supportive work environment. By finding the right balance between challenging directly and caring personally, you can help your employees achieve their goals with less time and less stress. Start by modeling the behavior yourself, sharing the model with your team, and encouraging a culture of radical candor and continuous improvement.
For more information on radical candor, read Radical Candor by Kim Scott.
For more details on radical candor see my podcast on the topic HERE