How to Be Radically Candid: Q&A with Kim Scott, Part 2

In Part 1 of Kim's interview, we learned about the meaning of radical candor and the crucial importance giving and receiving caring feedback in the workplace. This week, we're back to discuss how radical candor can improve everything from peer relations to politics.

Get-it-done Guy: You really have to be willing to listen and keep your mouth shut when you're receiving feedback, because I can see how it would be easy to get defensive. But what if you can't see eye to eye with someone? Do you agree to disagree? Do you fire them?

Kim Scott: There's a really good phrase that goes, "Listen, challenge, commit." At some point, you do have to commit to a course of action. Hopefully you've built the kinds of relationships where sometimes things will go your way and sometimes they won't, because that shows balance and it's not productive to be arguing forever. As long as you take the time to listen to each other, and then challenge each other, the next step has to be deciding what's next.

Listen to the full episode in the top right hand player, and check out the special audiobook clip below:

 

---

Kim Scott is the author of Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss without Losing your Humanity, published by St Martin’s Press and available for purchase now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, and Booksamillion. Plus, check out the audiobook at Audible, Amazon, or iTunes. Kim is also the co-founder and CEO of Candor, Inc., which builds tools to make it easier to follow the advice she offers in the book. She also hosts the Radical Candor podcast.