Gallup's Leadership and Management Indicator reveals low levels of trust and satisfaction among U.S. employees, where only 21% trust their organization's leadership, 28% feel their manager communicates effectively, and just 30% believe their manager supports change.
Employee trust in leadership is declining because managers neglect a crucial aspect of their jobs-relationships, which managers do not invest in. As a manager, the quality of your relationships and job duties directly impact each other, either propelling you forward or holding you back.
Your relationships with your direct reports influence their relationships with their subordinates and the overall culture of your team. Whether you like it or not, your skill in forming trusting connections with those who report directly to you shapes the quality of everything else. Despite these relationships' crucial roles, many struggle to build employee trust.
What is Radical Candor?
Radical candor can vary based on situations, and it is useful for business leaders to consider it using the acronym HIP. According to Scott, when radical candor is HIP, it achieves a balance between being candid and sincere. The HIP approach is:
- Humble
- Helpful
- Immediate
- In Person
- Private Criticism
- Public Praise
- Not About Personality
Practicing Radical Candor means being honest about people's work, whether it is not meeting expectations or exceeding them. It involves communicating when someone will not get a desired role, when a new superior will be hired above them, or when the results do not warrant further investment in their project.
READ ALSO: Proximity Bias: Five Ways to Give All Employees a Fair Chance to Succeed
What Radical Candor Is Not
When radical candor becomes overly empathetic, aggressive, or insincere, it can go beyond its intended purpose and erode trust between leaders and employees. The opposites of radical candor are:
- Ruinous empathy is when you have good intentions but are unhelpful or harmful. For instance, not telling a team member they have food in their teeth before a meeting. While you meant to spare their feelings, it could embarrass them when they speak in front of others.
- Obnoxious aggression is when feedback is given without consideration or care, sometimes called "front stabbing." For example, a team member may be asked to dress more professionally but do so mockingly in front of their peers.
- Manipulative insecurity is what people refer to as being stabbed in the back. This feedback is not helpful nor given with care. For instance, a boss who's unhappy with an employee's performance but talks about it with the rest of the team spreads information indirectly to the individual.
How To Practice Radical Candor
The first step is grasping radical candor. Then, leaders can apply it effectively in daily situations without losing their team's trust.
Get It Before You Dish It
To encourage others to be more open to feedback, be open to receiving it yourself.
Think Before You Speak
Before giving radical candor to an employee, take a moment to consider the information and how it might affect them.
Focus On the Individual, Not the Personality
Radical candor should address things that employees can reasonably control.
The CORE method helps leaders apply radical candor effectively involves:
- Context-Explain the situation
- Observe-Describe what happened
- Result-Share the results or meaningful consequences
- Next, StEps-Review the planned next steps
Conduct Growth Management Conversation
To practice radical candor, it is beneficial to grasp what drives each team member and how their role aligns with their future aspirations.
Have a Regular 1:1 Conversation
Career conversations should not be a one-time event. Regular, meaningful one-on-one discussions between business leaders and their direct reports help build and strengthen transparency and trust over time.
Take Time To Reflect
Leaders are advised to review and adjust their approaches regularly as teams grow and change.
Radical candor is not always appropriate, but fostering healthy two-way communication between leaders and teams is essential. It is crucial to know when to use radical candor and when not to.
RELATED ARTICLE: Employees Acting Out Roles in "Productivity Theater", Do Managers Need to Micromanage?
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