Giraffes naturally come by their high-level, big picture perspective. They need to work to get a closer look at important details at the lower level.
We all (hopefully) work at adjusting our perspectives to see the whole picture. What we often neglect is our role and approach at aiding others to gain a clear perspective. Engaging all to collaborate is not just a leadership responsibility. Ideally it is a viral habit across any organization.
Practicing and soliciting radical candor is the most effective way to drive collaboration and productive synergy in teams. It drives innovation, agility, and effective feedback for continuous improvement. Habitual radical candor across an organization is the foundation for an agile and resilient corporate culture.
Radical candor can be described as…
the perfect balance between practicing empathy AND challenging directly.
- It’s not touchy feely, but it’s not unemotional.
- It demonstrates that we are engaged to understand the scenario and find win-win solutions.
- It is truthful, authentic, and respectful in tone.
- It validates that we are engaged with the intent to fully understand and that there are shared goals.
- I can simply be asking the question no one else was brave enough to ask.
- It can be courageous! Many of us passively participate – staying in our observational comfort zone.
- It should be reciprocated horizontally and vertically. If you have a seat at the table (or virtual meeting), you have generally been invited to participate.
- It is NOT easy. Radical candor is a skill that must be practiced regularly.
Personally, I have found that when using my radical candor for the first time with a group, I actually preface it by saying, “I’m going to share some of my radical candor here…”. I get a laugh, I have the listeners’ attention and then I share my thoughts, concerns or perspective. As long as whatever you share is coming from an authentic respectful voice it will be graciously received – ultimately rewarded with respect and a new level of synergy!
TIP for job hunters:
Add the question “How is radical candor received in your organization?” to your list for any prospective employer.
Curious for more on this? Check out this resource that includes a 20 minute video on using improv to develop develop your radical candor muscle and a great 2 minute video outlining the impacts when our balance is less than perfect between practicing empathy and challenging directly. ImprovisingRadicalCandor.com
Real Collaboration Rocks LLC 