“Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity” is a book by Kim Scott that describes a management approach that combines caring and direct. I read it last weekend because I wanted to see what is similar to Meta’s management style.

The book argues that the best leaders can be “radical” in their directness and “candid” in their caring. The book provides tools and strategies for managers to implement this approach and create a culture of “radical candor” in their team. The main idea is that a leader should be able to give direct feedback, challenging the people they lead in a way that is both honest and kind, and at the same time, creating a culture of psychological safety where people can speak truthfully respectfully.

It all makes sense and is ‘easy to say – hard to do.’

Here are a few examples from my experience of how to create a culture of “radical candor” in the workplace:

Give direct feedback

At Netflix, I saw it firsthand in many cases. Your colleagues, managers, and mentors will share their opinions in an honest way that is not easy to hear. The exciting aspect is that it’s the best way to grow for the ‘right’ type of personality. At Bridgewater is the same idea. It would be best to share your thoughts and opinions with your team members transparently and honestly. Be specific about what they are doing well and where they need improvement. Always try to give examples and share more context about the ‘why.’

Practice active listening

Show that you are listening to your team members by asking questions and paraphrasing what they say. Show that you understand their perspective and take their ideas seriously. It’s helpful to repeat what they said in your own words. You will be surprised how some ‘tiny’ things will cause them to correct your understanding.

Lead by example

Always lead with action, not just words. If you want people to act in a certain way, you should show them how. Be the first to admit vulnerability or a mistake. Take for example, the first post-mortem. If you are leading it by focusing on ‘what’ and ‘how we solve’ it and not the person that made the mistakes. It will show your reports how to be in the right mindset of constant improvements and not a culture of ‘blame.’

Encourage open communication

Create an environment where team members feel comfortable speaking up and sharing their ideas. Encourage them to challenge the status quo and speak truthfully, even if it may be uncomfortable.

Show you care

Take the time to get to know your team members personally and show that you are invested in their well-being. Show empathy and be responsive when they have personal or professional problems.

Hold team members accountable

Hold team members responsible for their actions and decisions, but do so in a fair and respectful way. Help them understand their actions’ impact on the team and the organization. Leverage the 1:1 meeting to discuss their impact and their freedom and responsibility.

Recognize and reward good work

Acknowledge and celebrate the successes of your team members, both big and small. Show them that their hard work is appreciated and valued. A good tradition we used to do in Meta was to start the weekly team(s) meeting with ‘Kudos/Props’ where each person thanked someone else on the team (or outside the team) for helping them accomplish a particular task or project.

Overall, it’s a good book.

A bit too long but with some valuable examples.

Be strong.