Radical Candor: From theory to practice with author Kim Scott

Radical Candor: From theory to practice with author Kim Scott

New Section

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of asking for feedback and provides a question to ask that can make it easier to work with others.

Asking for Feedback

  • The speaker suggests asking the question, "What could I do or stop doing that would make it easier to work with me?" instead of simply asking for general feedback.
  • This question should be asked in one's own authentic voice rather than trying to sound like someone else.
  • It is recommended to write down the question and who it will be asked to, and then schedule a time for the conversation.

New Section

In this section, the host introduces Kim Scott as a guest and mentions her book "Radical Candor" as being highly recommended on the podcast.

Introduction of Kim Scott

  • Kim Scott is the author of "Radical Candor," which has sold over 1 million copies and has been translated into 23 languages.
  • She has worked as a COO coach at various tech companies such as Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and more.
  • Prior to her career in tech, she managed a pediatric clinic in Kosovo and started a diamond cutting factory in Moscow.
  • Kim is also working on a new book called "Radical Respect."

New Section

The host highlights some key points about their upcoming conversation with Kim Scott regarding radical candor.

Key Points about Radical Candor Conversation

  • The conversation will focus on practical tips for practicing radical candor.
  • Language, phrases, and words that can be used to improve radical candor will be discussed.
  • Tips will be provided specifically for people pleasers and receiving feedback.
  • Advice will be given for dealing with different cultural norms and workplace environments.

New Section

The speaker discusses the concept of radical candor and distinguishes it from obnoxious aggression and manipulative insincerity.

Understanding Radical Candor

  • Radical candor is the combination of caring personally and challenging directly.
  • It is important to avoid obnoxious aggression, which involves challenging directly without showing care personally.
  • Obnoxious aggression can be harmful to others and inefficient in communication.
  • Manipulative insincerity occurs when one pretends to agree instead of challenging directly, leading to a lack of authenticity.

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The Problem of Ruinous Empathy

In this section, the speaker discusses the common problem of ruinous empathy, where people fail to provide candid feedback because they are afraid of hurting someone's feelings or offending them.

Ruinous Empathy and Radical Candor

  • Ruinous empathy occurs when we care personally about someone but fail to give them direct and honest feedback.
  • Radical candor is the opposite of ruinous empathy. It involves challenging directly while also showing that you care deeply about the person.

Common Mistakes and Self-Criticism

  • 90% of people make mistakes in the ruinous empathy bucket, making it the most common problem.
  • People often find it easier to notice when they have been ruinously empathetic compared to manipulatively insincere or obnoxiously aggressive.

Using the Framework as a Compass

  • The speaker encourages using this framework not to judge oneself or others harshly but as a guide for better conversations.
  • It helps identify when we are going in the wrong direction and allows for specific conversations with specific people.

The Impact of Radical Candor

In this section, the speaker explains how developing radical candor skills can lead to better relationships, improved work performance, success, and happiness.

Building Better Relationships and Doing Better Work

  • Developing radical candor leads to building better relationships with others.
  • It also improves work performance and increases chances of success.
  • Being happier is another positive outcome of practicing radical candor.

Story: Impact on My Life

The speaker shares a personal story about how radical candor had an impact on their life.

Presentation at Google

  • Shortly after joining Google in 2004, the speaker had to give a presentation about the AdSense business.
  • The founders and CEO were present, but their behavior was unexpected and made the speaker nervous.

Feedback from a Boss

  • After the presentation, the speaker's boss provided feedback in a direct and honest manner.
  • Instead of focusing on what went wrong, she highlighted what had gone well.
  • She pointed out that the speaker used filler words excessively and recommended a speech coach.

The Importance of Direct Feedback

  • The boss's direct feedback about sounding stupid by using filler words was initially surprising but ultimately helpful.
  • It motivated the speaker to seek improvement and visit a speech coach.
  • This experience made the speaker realize that no one had previously given them this feedback.

The Kindness of Directness

In this section, the speaker emphasizes how direct feedback can be an act of kindness when it is delivered with care and consideration for individual differences.

Tailoring Feedback to Individuals

  • Direct feedback may not be suitable for everyone on a team.
  • The boss knew the speaker well enough to provide such direct feedback because she cared personally about their growth.

A Turning Point in Career

  • Although some might consider it mean, being told they sounded stupid was actually kind because it prompted self-reflection and improvement.
  • This moment was crucial in the speaker's career as it revealed an area for growth that had gone unnoticed before.

The Importance of Caring Personally and Challenging Directly

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of caring personally and challenging directly in leadership.

Caring Personally

  • Caring personally means showing genuine concern for employees as human beings, not just as workers.
  • A leader who cares personally builds strong relationships with their team members.
  • Personal care is demonstrated through actions such as supporting employees during personal crises or difficult times.

Challenging Directly

  • Challenging directly involves providing honest feedback and holding employees accountable.
  • A leader who challenges directly helps their team members grow and improve.
  • Direct feedback should be given consistently until it is understood and internalized by the recipient.

Effective Communication Strategies

  • There is no specific script for challenging directly or showing care personally. It's important to use authentic language that reflects your own style.
  • When having conversations, whether for praise or criticism, it's crucial to approach them with humility and a desire to be helpful.
  • Immediate feedback is recommended unless emotions are running high or the other person is unable to receive it at that moment.
  • Synchronous communication, such as phone calls, is preferred over asynchronous methods like email or text messages. Facial expressions and body language can be misinterpreted in written communication.

The Power of Praise and Criticism in Radical Candor

This section explores the significance of praise and criticism in radical candor.

Importance of Praise

  • Praise plays a vital role in building a culture of radical candor.
  • Radical candor should start with soliciting feedback from others before offering praise or criticism.
  • Providing more praise than criticism helps reinforce positive behaviors within a team.

Giving Criticism Effectively

  • Criticism should focus on specific actions or behaviors that need improvement.
  • It is essential to deliver criticism immediately, unless the timing is inappropriate due to heightened emotions.
  • Synchronous communication, such as phone calls, allows for better understanding and gauging how the feedback is received.

Effective Communication Strategies for Radical Candor

This section provides practical tips for effective communication in radical candor.

Be Humble and Helpful

  • Approach conversations with humility, acknowledging that you may be wrong.
  • Clearly state your intention to be helpful and genuinely care about the other person's growth and development.

Timeliness of Feedback

  • Provide feedback immediately rather than waiting for a "better" moment. Delaying feedback often leads to avoidance.
  • Exceptions can be made if emotions are too high or if the recipient is unable to receive feedback at that time.

Synchronous Communication

  • Use synchronous communication methods like phone calls instead of asynchronous methods like email or text messages.
  • Facial expressions and body language are important cues that can be missed in written communication.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts on Radical Candor

The speaker concludes by summarizing key points about radical candor.

Recap of Key Points

  • Radical candor requires caring personally and challenging directly.
  • Effective communication involves being humble, helpful, and timely with feedback.
  • Praise should outweigh criticism to foster a positive culture within teams.

Importance of Phone Calls

  • Phone calls allow for better understanding and connection compared to written communication methods like email or text messages.

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How to Give Effective Feedback

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of providing feedback using context, observation, result, and next steps. They emphasize the need for both praise and criticism to be constructive and specific.

Providing Effective Feedback

  • It is important to use context, observation, result, and next steps when giving feedback.
  • Praise should be given in the meeting context by offering both sides of the argument.
  • The speaker suggests calling this approach "core" instead of "corn" due to potential confusion with a similar-sounding word.
  • Another example is shared about ruinous empathy and its negative impact on performance.
  • Ruinous empathy creates false harmony and should be avoided.

The Story of Bob: Ruinous Empathy

The speaker shares a personal story about an employee named Bob who was well-liked but consistently produced poor work due to ruinous empathy.

The Story of Bob

  • Bob was hired based on his charm and likability despite his subpar work quality.
  • The speaker acknowledges praising Bob's work even though it wasn't up to par.
  • Fear of hurting Bob's feelings and concern about their own reputation led to manipulative insincerity in providing feedback.
  • This pattern continued for 10 months until it became clear that Bob's performance was negatively affecting the entire team.
  • Eventually, the speaker had to have a difficult conversation with Bob about his poor performance.

Consequences of Ruinous Empathy

The speaker discusses the negative consequences of ruinous empathy, including its impact on team performance and the need to address issues promptly.

Consequences of Ruinous Empathy

  • The speaker realized that not addressing Bob's poor performance earlier had a detrimental effect on the entire team.
  • Bob questioned why nobody had told him about his performance issues sooner, highlighting the negative impact of ruinous empathy.
  • The speaker made a promise to themselves to never repeat this mistake and to help others avoid it as well.
  • Ruinous empathy can hinder results and create a toxic work environment.

Importance of Addressing Performance Issues Early

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of addressing performance issues early on a team to maintain high performance. They discuss the fear of giving feedback and losing top performers, as well as the need to help individuals improve or find a better fit elsewhere.

Addressing Performance Issues

  • High-performing teams can be compromised if subpar performers are not addressed early on.
  • Fear of losing top performers often prevents people from giving honest feedback about their work.
  • It is important to help individuals improve and excel in their roles or find a different job where they can thrive.
  • Everyone has the potential to do great work somewhere, but sloppy mistakes can hinder their ability to perform at their best.

Overcoming the Fear of Giving Feedback

The speaker discusses how being a "people pleaser" can make it difficult for leaders to give candid feedback. They share insights on shifting focus from being liked to caring about others and offer perspectives on gender biases in feedback.

Overcoming People Pleasing

  • Many people struggle with giving hard feedback due to a desire to be liked by others.
  • Shifting focus from being liked to genuinely caring about others' growth and success can help overcome this fear.
  • Gender biases, such as likability competence bias, may impact how women receive feedback differently than men.
  • Being open to receiving feedback is also crucial for personal growth and improvement.

Approaching Feedback Conversations Differently

The speaker reflects on how they would approach giving feedback differently in hindsight. They discuss asking individuals to self-diagnose issues with their work and providing specific examples when pointing out mistakes.

Alternative Approach to Feedback

  • Instead of immediately examining the work, asking individuals to self-diagnose their dissatisfaction with their own work can be helpful.
  • Giving individuals an opportunity to reflect on their work before providing feedback can lead to more productive conversations.
  • When pointing out mistakes, it is important to be specific and address each problem individually rather than generalizing them as careless mistakes.
  • Challenging individuals directly and persistently until effective communication is achieved is crucial for growth.

Shifting Focus from Being Liked to Demonstrating Care

The speaker emphasizes the importance of demonstrating care for others over seeking personal likability. They discuss how prioritizing care creates conditions for better relationships and effective feedback.

Prioritizing Care over Likability

  • It is more important for leaders to demonstrate care for team members than to be liked by them.
  • Prioritizing care allows leaders to make decisions that ultimately benefit the individual's growth and create a foundation for a good relationship.
  • Pulling punches or avoiding giving honest feedback does not contribute positively to relationships or performance improvement.

Gender Bias in Feedback and Soliciting Feedback

The speaker shares insights on gender biases in feedback, particularly related to women being labeled as bossy or abrasive. They also highlight the importance of being open to receiving feedback and discerning valuable input from irrelevant criticism.

Gender Bias in Feedback

  • Women often face likability competence bias, leading them to receive different labels compared to men when giving feedback.
  • Labels such as bossy or abrasive are unfairly attributed based on gender stereotypes.
  • Being aware of these biases helps navigate feedback conversations more effectively.

Soliciting Feedback

  • It is essential to be open-minded when soliciting feedback from others.
  • Separating valuable input from irrelevant criticism is crucial for personal and professional growth.

Learning from Past Feedback Situations

The speaker reflects on what they would do differently when giving feedback to someone like Bob. They discuss the importance of addressing discomfort early on and providing specific feedback.

Learning from Past Experiences

  • When someone appears uncomfortable with their work, it is important to address it early on.
  • Asking individuals to self-diagnose their dissatisfaction can lead to more productive conversations.
  • Providing specific feedback about each problem in the work helps individuals understand areas for improvement.
  • Challenging individuals persistently until effective communication is achieved is crucial for growth.

Balancing Self-Diagnosis and Specific Feedback

The speaker discusses the balance between asking individuals to self-diagnose issues with their work and providing specific feedback. They highlight the importance of being cautious when relying solely on self-diagnosis.

Balancing Self-Diagnosis and Specific Feedback

  • Asking individuals to self-diagnose issues with their work can be helpful but also risky if they misinterpret their own performance.
  • Being cautious when relying solely on self-diagnosis ensures that all aspects of the work are thoroughly examined.
  • Providing specific feedback about each problem in the work helps individuals understand areas for improvement.

Addressing Defensive Reactions to Feedback

The speaker discusses how to handle defensive reactions when giving feedback. They emphasize the need to challenge directly and continue communicating until understanding is achieved.

Addressing Defensive Reactions

  • Some individuals may react defensively when receiving feedback, denying any problems or mistakes.
  • Challenging them directly and persistently is necessary to move past defensiveness and foster growth.
  • Overcoming fear of others getting upset is crucial, as it is often an overestimated concern.

Importance of Demonstrating Care

The speaker emphasizes the importance of demonstrating care for others when giving feedback. They highlight that caring about individuals' growth and success should take precedence over personal likability.

Prioritizing Care

  • Demonstrating care for team members is more important than seeking personal likability.
  • Prioritizing care creates conditions for better relationships and effective feedback.
  • Pulling punches or avoiding honest feedback does not contribute positively to relationships or performance improvement.

Providing Specific Feedback

The speaker discusses the importance of providing specific feedback rather than generalizing mistakes. They highlight the value of addressing each problem individually to facilitate improvement.

Specific Feedback

  • When giving feedback, it is crucial to provide specific examples and address each problem individually.
  • Generalizing mistakes as careless or numerous can be less effective in facilitating improvement.
  • Showing patterns of mistakes can be useful, especially when dealing with defensive individuals.

Overcoming Reluctance to Give Feedback

The speaker acknowledges the reluctance to give feedback due to a desire to be liked. They emphasize that avoiding difficult conversations only leads to worsening situations and stress the importance of doing what is necessary for growth.

Overcoming Reluctance

  • It can be challenging to overcome the fear of not being liked when giving difficult feedback.
  • Avoiding these conversations only allows problems to persist and potentially worsen over time.
  • Doing what is necessary for growth and improvement outweighs the temporary discomfort of giving honest feedback.

Negative Bias in Giving Feedback

The speaker discusses how negativity bias plays a role in reluctance to give feedback. They highlight the need to overcome this bias and prioritize growth over avoiding discomfort.

Negative Bias

  • Negativity bias often leads individuals to fear giving feedback due to potential negative reactions.
  • The fear of someone getting upset is often overestimated, and it should not hinder the process of providing constructive feedback.
  • Prioritizing growth and improvement outweighs the temporary discomfort of difficult conversations.

Importance of Demonstrating Care for Others

The speaker emphasizes that demonstrating care for others is more important than seeking personal likability. They highlight that prioritizing care

The Importance of Meaningful Career Conversations

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of managers having meaningful career conversations with their direct reports to show that they care. These conversations involve discussing the employee's life story, past experiences, future aspirations, and creating a career action plan.

Having Real and Meaningful Career Conversations

  • Managers should have real and meaningful career conversations with their direct reports to demonstrate that they care.
  • These conversations should include discussing the employee's life story, past experiences, and what motivates them at work.
  • Three separate 45-minute conversations are recommended: one about the employee's past, one about their future aspirations, and one to create a career action plan.
  • The third conversation involves identifying skills that need development and exploring opportunities for growth.

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Creating a Career Action Plan

  • During the career action planning conversation, managers should help employees identify skills they need to develop in order to achieve their goals.
  • Managers can also provide guidance on networking opportunities or educational resources that can support skill development.
  • The goal is for employees to take steps towards their dreams even if they are not there yet.

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Additional Resources

  • The speaker mentions having a post and spreadsheet guide on how to have these career conversations effectively.
  • There is also a book recommendation called "When You Win When They Win" by Russ Lway which provides insights into career conversations.

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Balancing Radical Candor in Company Culture

This section addresses the challenge of practicing radical candor in company cultures that may not be welcoming of direct feedback. It explores strategies for finding a balance between being candid without risking retention or alienating employees.

Practicing Radical Candor in Challenging Cultures

  • Many company cultures are not receptive to direct feedback, which can make practicing radical candor difficult.
  • Balancing the need for candid feedback with the risk of alienating employees is a challenge.
  • Hiring individuals who are open and ready for direct feedback may help, but it is not always possible.

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The Order of Operations for Radical Candor

  • The speaker suggests an order of operations for practicing radical candor.
  • It starts with soliciting criticism from others, which helps improve relationships and makes it easier to give and receive feedback.

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How to Solicit Feedback

  • Asking a generic question like "Do you have any feedback for me?" is often ineffective as most people hesitate to provide criticism.
  • Instead, ask a specific question that sounds authentic to you, such as "What could I do or stop doing that would make it easier to work with me?"
  • Authenticity is key in eliciting honest responses.
  • Consider the impact your question may have on others and adjust accordingly.

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Steps for Soliciting Feedback

  • Think about who you want to ask for feedback and what question would be most likely to elicit a response.
  • Write down your question and schedule time in your calendar to have these conversations.

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New Section

This section discusses the importance of giving feedback in the moment and soliciting feedback from others. It provides suggestions for questions to ask during feedback sessions.

Soliciting Feedback

  • When giving feedback, it is important to do it in the moment and not save it up for a later time.
  • Save five minutes at the end of one-on-one meetings to ask for feedback.
  • Ask a go-to question about what you could be doing better or what you could stop/start doing.
  • Avoid asking the same question every time to show genuine interest in receiving feedback.
  • Make this part of your daily/weekly routine with people you interact closely with.

New Section

This section suggests various questions to ask when soliciting feedback from others.

Questions to Ask

  • What's one thing I could be doing better?
  • What's one way I could help you be more successful?
  • What could I have done this week to better support you in your work?

New Section

This section discusses how to handle discomfort when receiving critical feedback and emphasizes active listening.

Embracing Discomfort

  • Be prepared to embrace discomfort when receiving critical feedback.
  • Close your mouth and count to six seconds of silence, as most people can't endure that long without speaking up.
  • The other person will likely say something during this silence.

Active Listening

  • Listen with the intent to understand, not just respond defensively.
  • Manage your natural defensive reaction and avoid shutting down the feedback.
  • Think of follow-up questions to ensure understanding.

New Section

This section emphasizes the importance of rewarding candor when someone takes the risk of providing critical feedback.

Rewarding Candor

  • When someone gives you critical feedback, they are taking a risk.
  • If you don't reward that risk, you won't receive feedback in the future.
  • If you agree with the feedback, fix the problem and make your listening tangible.

The transcript is already in English.

How to Receive Critical Feedback

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of receiving critical feedback and provides tips on how to handle it effectively.

Receiving Critical Feedback

  • When receiving critical feedback, aim to overcorrect rather than just addressing the issue.
  • Instead of dismissing or brushing off critical feedback, find something in it that you can agree with and acknowledge that point.
  • Express your intention to think about the rest of the feedback and provide a respectful explanation for any disagreement.
  • Disagreements can actually strengthen professional relationships if handled respectfully.

Building Relationships through Disagreement

This section highlights the value of respectful disagreement in building strong professional relationships.

Squid Games and Building Relationships

  • The speaker mentions watching "Squid Games" on Netflix where a team initially dislikes a member who made a bad decision but eventually becomes best friends.
  • Disagreements can lead to stronger relationships when they are addressed respectfully.

Challenges in Product Management

The speaker discusses the challenges faced by product managers and introduces Jira Product Discovery as a solution.

Challenges in Product Management

  • Product managers often find themselves overwhelmed with spreadsheets, roadmaps, and firefighting instead of focusing on strategy and customer interaction.
  • Jira Product Discovery is introduced as a tool designed to help product teams gather ideas, prioritize tasks, create roadmaps, and foster collaboration.

Steps for Receiving Feedback

The speaker outlines steps for effectively receiving feedback from others.

Steps for Receiving Feedback

  • Ask open-ended questions like "What's one thing I could have done this week to make you more successful?"
  • Wait for a few seconds to allow the person to think and respond.
  • Ask follow-up questions to ensure understanding.
  • Express gratitude for the feedback, especially when you disagree.
  • Take time to reflect on the feedback and follow up with an explanation of your perspective.

Acting on Feedback

The speaker emphasizes the importance of taking action based on feedback and providing updates on progress.

Acting on Feedback

  • It is not enough to simply say thank you for feedback; it is crucial to address the issue and show what steps have been taken to correct it.
  • Regularly seek additional feedback to evaluate if corrections were effective.
  • Disagreements can be addressed respectfully in subsequent one-on-one meetings without adding extra meetings to the schedule.

Importance of Immediate Action

The speaker explains why immediate action is important when receiving feedback.

Importance of Immediate Action

  • Taking immediate action shows respect for the other person's input and saves time in future discussions.
  • Addressing problems promptly is part of a leader's responsibility.
  • Disagreements can be discussed in regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings without adding extra meetings.

Time Constraints as a Barrier

The speaker discusses time constraints as a common barrier to giving and receiving feedback.

Time Constraints as a Barrier

  • Back-to-back schedules often make it challenging to find time for giving and receiving feedback.
  • However, incorporating feedback into regular conversations, such as during walks or between meetings, can save time in the long run.

The Impact of Obnoxious Aggression

This section discusses the impact of obnoxious aggression in the workplace and how it can hinder communication and success.

Understanding the Downsides of Obnoxious Aggression

  • Obnoxious aggression is not only harmful to others but also inefficient because people cannot hear what you are saying.
  • To make people realize the impact of their behavior, it is recommended to share personal stories that highlight the negative consequences of acting like a jerk.
  • Encouraging self-awareness by holding up a mirror to oneself can help individuals adopt a growth mindset and understand the need for change.

Bridgewater's Approach: Extreme Aggressiveness

  • Bridgewater, as an example, promotes extreme aggressiveness in their company culture, where hard critical feedback is given publicly after every meeting.
  • This approach can lead to personal attacks and create a toxic work environment.
  • Sharing an anecdote about a woman who faced harsh criticism in a meeting at Bridgewater highlights the deep dark side of obnoxious aggression.

Steve Jobs vs. Ray Dalio and Elon Musk

  • Steve Jobs' leadership style may have included moments of obnoxious aggression, but he also built strong relationships with his direct reports based on care and respect.
  • Building genuine human relationships within a team context can mitigate the negative effects of aggressive behavior.
  • Comparing Steve Jobs' approach to that of Ray Dalio and Elon Musk reveals differences in caring personally for employees.

The Problematic Nature of Bridgewater's Culture

This section delves deeper into Bridgewater's culture and its problematic aspects.

The Book "Principles" by Ray Dalio

  • The book "Principles" by Ray Dalio provides insights into Bridgewater's culture.
  • It emphasizes radical candor but lacks emphasis on caring about people.
  • An analysis of the book reveals a low level of personal care.

The Perception of Success

  • Many people perceive successful individuals like Elon Musk and Steve Jobs as being challenging and direct.
  • However, success does not justify adopting an aggressive approach towards others.

Steve Jobs' Leadership Style

This section explores Steve Jobs' leadership style and the importance of building genuine relationships.

Genuine Relationships at Apple

  • Steve Jobs had built strong relationships with his direct reports at Apple.
  • Examples of interactions between Steve Jobs and Johnny Ive demonstrate their mutual care and respect for each other.
  • Radical candor within the context of a caring relationship can be understood differently than obnoxious aggression.

Balancing Pushing Hard and Respect

This section highlights the importance of balancing pushing hard with respect in professional relationships.

An Example from Kim Scott's Career

  • Kim Scott shares an example from her own career where she corrected a colleague multiple times, using harsh language in a joking manner.
  • While this was acceptable within their relationship, it silenced others around them who feared making mistakes.
  • Recognizing the impact on others, Kim Scott emphasized her respect for the person involved to create a more inclusive environment.

Mistakes and Failures

The speaker reflects on their past mistakes and failures in the workplace, acknowledging their failure to be an upstander and their denial of experiencing bias, prejudice, and bullying. They also admit to having hurt others through biased actions or bullying.

  • Failed to be an upstander and a good colleague.
  • Denied experiencing bias, prejudice, and bullying.
  • Pretended that certain things were not happening in the workplace.
  • Did not want to think of themselves as a victim or a culprit.
  • Admits to hurting others through biased actions or bullying.

Denial of Bias and Prejudice

The speaker discusses their denial of various experiences related to bias, prejudice, and bullying in the workplace. They explain that they never wanted to see themselves as a victim but also did not want to acknowledge when they were the ones causing harm.

  • In denial about experiences related to bias, prejudice, and bullying.
  • Pretended that certain things were not happening in the workplace.
  • Did not want to see themselves as a victim or a culprit.
  • Admits to saying or doing things that hurt other people at work.

Leadership Responsibilities

The speaker reflects on their role as a leader and how they failed in creating a respectful work environment. They mention writing a book called "Radical Respect" which focuses on addressing these issues.

  • Imagined they were creating respect but allowed various forms of disrespect.
  • Prompted them to write the book "Radical Respect."
  • Book covers topics such as leadership responsibilities, dealing with bias/prejudice/bullying, being an upstander, and becoming part of the solution.

Creating a Respectful Work Environment

The speaker emphasizes that creating a respectful work environment is the responsibility of everyone, regardless of their role. They mention chapters in their book that provide guidance for leaders, those affected by bias/prejudice/bullying, and those seeking to be better colleagues.

  • Everyone has a role in creating a respectful work environment.
  • Book covers topics such as leadership responsibilities, dealing with bias/prejudice/bullying, being an upstander, and becoming part of the solution.

Practical Step for Building Radical Candor

The speaker suggests a practical step for building radical candor - writing down a go-to question and practicing it with others to solicit feedback. They emphasize the discomfort involved in receiving feedback but highlight its importance.

  • Write down a go-to question to solicit feedback.
  • Practice asking the question in front of a mirror and with others.
  • Schedule five minutes with someone to ask them the question.

Success and Kindness

The speaker reminds listeners that success does not require being unkind or disrespectful. They encourage individuals to strive for success while maintaining kindness towards others.

  • It is possible to be successful and kind at the same time.

Recommended Books

The speaker recommends reading more novels as they believe it helps build compassion and understanding towards others. They mention several novels they personally enjoy.

  • Reading novels can help build compassion and understanding.
  • Recommendations include "Middle March," works by Toni Morrison, "Orlando" by Virginia Woolf, "The Depford Trilogy" by Robertson Davies, and "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker.

Favorite TV Show

The speaker shares that they watched all 19 seasons of Grey's Anatomy with their daughter during and after the pandemic. They discuss the ongoing nature of the show and recommend watching Shonda Rhimes' TED Talk.

  • Watched all 19 seasons of Grey's Anatomy.
  • Recommend watching Shonda Rhimes' TED Talk.

Favorite Interview Question

The speaker shares a favorite interview question they like to ask when interviewing people. They suggest it may be helpful for others conducting interviews.

  • No specific details provided in the transcript.

New Section

The speaker discusses the task of creating a comprehensive and informative markdown file from a given transcript. The goal is to structure the markdown file in a clear and concise manner, utilizing timestamps when available to aid in studying the transcript.

Creating Markdown Notes

  • Use bullet points to summarize key points and insights from the transcript.
  • Each bullet point should be linked to the corresponding timestamp in the video using format.
  • Ensure that each section has no more than 4 bullet points, with each bullet point containing no more than 25 words.
  • Organize notes using subheadings and bullet points for clarity.

Formatting Tips

  • Use [] to denote timestamps and () to link to the corresponding part of the video.
  • Include timestamps within your notes whenever possible, especially for important steps or insights.
  • Keep titles informative or as questions answered by the video.
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Summary Tips

  • Only include content from the transcript; do not add any additional information.
  • Omit sections where there is only music playing or nothing significant happening.
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  • Ensure that both headings and study notes are written in the language of the transcript.
Video description

Kim Scott is the author of Radical Candor, currently the #1 most recommended book on this podcast. The book has sold over 1 million copies and has been translated into 23 languages. Before writing, Kim was a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and other tech companies. She was also a member of the faculty at Apple University and before that led AdSense, YouTube, and DoubleClick teams at Google. This spring she’ll be launching Radical Respect, which she considers to be a prequel to Radical Candor. In today’s conversation, we go deep on Kim’s popular framework, including: • What separates radical candor and obnoxious aggression • Tactical advice on delivering constructive feedback • How well-meaning empathy can become ruinous • Strategies for effectively soliciting and responding to feedback • The importance of having regular career conversations • The false dichotomy of a good leader versus a kind person • A sneak peek into Radical Respect — Brought to you by Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian’s new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams: https://atlassian.com/lenny/?utm_source=lennypodcast&utm_medium=paid-audio&utm_campaign=fy24q1-jpd-imc Find the transcript and references at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/radical-candor-from-theory-to-practice Where to find Kim Scott: • X: https://twitter.com/kimballscott • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimm4/ • Website: https://www.radicalcandor.com/ Where to find Lenny: • Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com • X: https://twitter.com/lennysan • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/ In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Kim’s background (03:13) A brief overview of Radical Candor (06:46) How people fail with ruinous empathy, manipulative insincerity, and obnoxious aggression (08:37) The impact of radical candor on Kim’s life (14:16) How to communicate feedback effectively (20:34) A story illustrating the problem with ruinous empathy and manipulative insincerity (27:50) How to get over the need to be liked (31:31) How to have career conversations with your direct reports (29:40) Reflections on how Kim handled an underperforming employee (33:31) Best practices for soliciting feedback as a leader (35:53) How to respond to feedback (39:22) How often to ask for feedback (41:48) Whether or not to accept “no feedback” as an answer (50:48) Investing time in feedback (54:04) How to ask for feedback as an employee (57:42) Why obnoxious aggression is not the best way to deliver feedback (1:01:23) A notable example of problematic management  (1:03:43) Why context matters when diagnosing obnoxious aggression  (1:07:39) Empathy is a good thing, but empathy can paralyze (1:10:47) Reflections on the limitations of radical candor in a society riddled with biases  (1:14:41) Kim’s new book, Radical Respect (1:15:51) Tactical advice to get better at radical candor (1:16:46) Lightning round Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com. Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.