RADICAL CANDOR

How to Be a Great Boss

Without Losing Your Humanity
MEMORIZATION BOOKLET
Kim Scott
 WHY YOU NEED TO FILL OUT THIS BOOKLET!

(and you really want to)

Theory is useless compared to action.

This booklet is what will separate you from
everyone else.
The science is unequivocal: Learning Science
has shown that retention increases dramat-
ically when new information is immediately
recalled (verbally or via writing), as well as
when it is practically applied to your life.
NOW WHAT?
Watch the video online or on your USB Flash
Drive.
Pause the video as needed to fill out the
booklet.
Dont worry about finishing all at once. Stop.
Start. Come back. Its all up to you.
Apply the techniques discussed in the booklet
to your life.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
1. A
 boss needs to give criticism in a way
that does not call into question their con-
fidence in their employees abilities but
leaves little room for interpretation or mis-
understanding...and thats a hard thing to
do. This book will teach you that balance.
2. H
 uman decency is something every person
owes each other, regardless of position.
3. O
 ne of the most common mistakes boss-
es make is to ignore the people who are
doing the best work because they dont
need me or I dont want to microman-
age. Ignoring somebody is a terrible way
to build a relationship. Instead, you want
to be a partnerthat is, you must take
the time to help the people doing the best
work overcome obstacles and make their
good work even better.

Notice the results. Then double down on what

especially works for you.

NOTE
You do NOT need to read Radical
Candor to learn and apply its key
points. You should read it, but you
dont have to.
 BIG IDEA #1 CARE PERSONALLY

Start having conversations with your employ-

BALANCE
Oftentimes, managers believe that their main
objective is to tell people what to do. This is
their last responsibility. Instead, they should
create meaningful relationships with all of
their direct reports and manage those feel-
ings.
ees that go beyond the workplace. Ask them
their ultimate goals so that you can task them
with projects and introduce them to clients/
vendors/friends that will help them realize
their dreams. In your weekly, 1:1 meetings,
ask a series of questions such as:
How happy are you right now?

Employees need to trust that their boss is in How productive were you this week?
their corner. This becomes crucial when the
time comes to receive and process feedback. Whats in your way?

Kim recounts her first management position How can I remove any blockers?
in her early twenties when she was respon-
sible for hiring and managing premier dia- What else can I do to enable your success?
mond cutters in Russia. She had an incentive
to persuade them to work for her company What opportunities are we missing around
--- US currency. Over a meal she learned what here?
was most promising about her company. It
offered the promise that a Russian company
could not. After some time, the question fi-
nally came out: If everything went to hell in
Russia, would you get us and our families out
of here? This is where it becomes clear that
your humanity is an attribute, not a liability.

We undervalue the emotional labor of being the

boss. Emotional labor is not just part of the job;
its the key to being a good boss. Its about giving a
damn, sharing more than just your work self, and
encouraging everyone who reports to you to do
the same.
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 FRANKLY, MY DEAR, I GIVE A DAMN.

APPLICATION TO LIFE QUESTION

Have you had substantial conversations with Do you put your employees needs above
your employees to the point where you feel yours?
like you know them fully?

I know my employees who want to climb the

promotion ranks, but their dreams beyond the
company line has been hard to establish.

Describe an experience when you didnt give

direct feedback but you wish you had.

QUESTION

Do your employees feel that they understand

you as a person?

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 BIG IDEA #2 CHALLENGE DIRECTLY

Write down what you want to say in order to

GUIDANCE
Its difficult to give guidance, but its the most
essential aspect of your job. Praise and feed-
back are essential to an employee feeling val-
ued and getting an opportunity to improve.
If you do not provide guidance, you or your
team will pay for it later oneither by doing
more work or enduring less than optimal be-
havior.
clarify beforehand. Think through your objec-
tives for the conversation. Practice giving the
feedback with HR or a peer. Ask them to help
refine the messaging. Use these six ways to
be kind and clear:
Helpful
Humble
Immediate

Kim is quick to admit her mistakes as a boss. Public Praise / Private Criticism
She points out a story about one of the most
charismatic employees she ever had, Bob. Not About Personality
Bob always knew the right thing to say and
do whenever there was tension around the Do not be overly worried about how peo-
office. Unfortunately, his work was not up ple will perceive you. That will make you less
to snuff. Instead of challenging directly, Kim willing to say what needs to be said.
picked up the slack or assigned difficult proj-
ects to other staff members. When it finally
came time to fire him, Bob was completely
shocked. Kim distinctly remembers him say-
ing, Why didnt anyone tell me? When you
are avoiding giving guidance, remember
what it would feel like to be taken completely
aback. Avoiding that experience is worth the
tension of challenging directly.

If you are a boss or a person in a position of some

authority, its not just your job. Its your moral ob-
ligation. Just say it!
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 CHALLENGE DIRECTLY

APPLICATION TO LIFE QUESTION

How have you learned to communicate feed- Do you think Challenging Directly is a strength
back in the past? or a weakness for you?

Ive learned the sandwiching technique where

feedback is given between two bogus, forced
pieces of praise. Ive noticed that my employees
just ignore the praise, eager to analyze my crit-
icism.

Think of the last compliment you gave. Add

an additional layer of specificity.

I like your dress > I like the way your dress brings
out your eye color.

Describe an experience when you received

feedback in a way that you didnt learn from
because you resented the way it was deliv-
ered to you.
QUESTION

How many times have you tried to give feed-

back that totally falls flat?

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 BIG IDEA #3 RADICAL CANDOR

PUT THEM TOGETHER PRO TIPS

Radical Candor is what happens when you The stranger looked up at Kim, and told her
put Care Personally and Challenge Directly Its not mean, its clear. And Radical Candor
together. was born.

If done correctly, Radical Candor builds trust When offering guidance, use the tips below:
and opens the door for the communication
that helps you achieve the results you are Be helpful.
aiming for. A radically candid conversation is
productive and collaborative. Be humble. Remember, that you are not a
truth teller here. This is your opinion.
Kims philosophy for Radical Candor sparked
in the seconds that a traffic light changed. Do it immediately & in person.
One evening, Kim was walking her new Gold-
en Retriever puppy who she cared for, but Criticize in private.
had trouble controlling. At the crosswalk, the
puppy tugged and tugged on his leash, nearly Praise in public as long as the report seems
pulling the two of them into the street where suited to it.
a car narrowly missed them. A stranger ap-
proached Kim and said, I can tell you love Dont personalize.
your dog. A harmless, compassionate ob-
servation, right? Then, he turned to the dog,
pointed, and firmly barked, Sit. Miraculous-
ly, the dog sat.

Andre Iguodala, the swingman for the Golden

State Warriors, explained why being willing to
challenge the people you work with is so import-
ant to success. The secret to winning, he said, is
to point out to great players what they could have
done better, even when they have just won a game.
Especially when they have just won a game.
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 CAN-DO CANDOR
APPLICATION TO LIFE
How does Radical Candor differ from brutal
honesty?
Radical Candor is not about unloading every
thought youve had about the other person.
Its about gathering specific, constructive
feedback and phrasing it in a way that will
convey that you care about the other person
and you want them to be better.
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QUESTION
What is some feedback that youve been sit-
ting on that you immediately want to plan a
way to impart?
Reflect on the best leaders youve worked for
in your career. What made them so excep-
tional? What can you learn?
Using the Radical Candor grid, identify past
experiences when youve embodied each
quadrant and how you couldve changed that
conversation in order to be radically candid
instead.
 BIG IDEA #4 RADICAL CANDOR
UP THE CHAIN OF COMMAND

Ask permission to give guidance. Say some-

USE IT ON YOUR TEAM thing like, Would it be helpful if I told you
what I thought of X?
It is not your moral obligation to criticize your
boss if it will cost you your job, but you should If they are willing to hear your thoughts, start
consider seriously whether you want to work with something small and benign and see
in a culture where you cannot be reasonably how they react. If they dont respond well, try
honest. one more time. If you get the same reaction
the next time, it may be time to move on.
Take the initiative to roll out Radical Candor
with your team. Once youve seen good re-
sults, explain to your boss what youre doing
and why. Start by asking for guidance before
you give it. You want to make sure you under-
stand the other persons perspective before
you start dishing out praise or criticism.

Do not critique the criticism. Do not accept

bland praise. Reward the candor.

If you are able to tell your boss that you disagree

with a decision, then at least you can have conver-
sations that will allow you to better understand
the rationale behind it. And once you understand
the rationale more deeply, you can explain it to
your teameven if you dont agree with it.
10
 THE RADICALLY CANDID CHALLENGE

APPLICATION TO LIFE PRACTICE

How do you make sure you have the facts A strong leader has the humility to listen,
right before criticizing? What about praising? the confidence to challenge, and the wisdom
to know when to quit arguing and to get on
board.

Practice this dialogue to communicate com-

pany strategies to your team that you dont
necessarily agree with:

Team: Why are we doing this, it makes no

sense to us, didnt you argue?

Boss: I understand your perspective. Yes, I

did have an opportunity to argue. Heres what
I said. And here is what I learned about why
we are doing what we are doing.
Are you prepared to defend a radically candid
culture if your boss challenges you?

Brainstorm a few pieces of feedback that youve been withholding from your
boss. Rank them from least to most revolutionary so that you can ease into
a radically candid relationship with your boss incrementall. Chunk it!

11
 BIG IDEA #5 GROWTH MANAGEMENT

A STRONG TEAM GROWTH MINDSET

Building a strong team is hard work. To keep
a team cohesive, you need to be thoughtful
about the level of ambition in each person
and which position youre putting them in.
Kim breaks these growth systems down into
two categorizations: rock stars and super-
stars.
Rock stars are solid as a rock. They dont want
the next job and arent jockeying for the next
promotion. They will be the team members
you rely on repeatedly. If you promote them
too quickly or put them in a management po-
sition they may not want, youll most likely
lose them.
Super stars need to be challenged and given
new opportunities constantly. As a manager,
you can expect that person to be in the role
for one, maybe two years.
Larry Page, co-founder of Google, told Kim a
story of one of his first summer internships.
His boss assigned him a project that typically
took the entire summer, but Larry proposed
a plan that could wrap it up in two days. The
employer insisted that Larry do it his way.
Larry was miserable for the entirety of the
summer and still regrets losing those three
months. Do not squash your employees
ideas or ambitions.
Remove your biases when it comes to ambi-
tion. Restructure the company promotion sys-
tem to become growth-minded rather than
promotion-obsessed. Think carefully about
what motivates your employees so that you
are incentivizing them with tasks that appeal
to their level of ambition.

Sometimes people really want to grow and are

capable of contributing more than they have been
allowed to; at other times, they simply want more
money or recognition but dont really want to
change the way they work or contribute any more
than they do already. As the boss, youre the one
whos going to have to know your direct reports
well enough to make these distinctions and then
have some Radically Candid conversations when
you see things differently.
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 SHOOT FOR THE STARS

APPLICATION TO LIFE JUDGEMENTS

If a person is ambitious, do you have a pos-
itive or a negative reaction? Do you assume
the person is hell-bent on personal goals? Or
do you assume that the person is responsi-
ble and gets things done, a force for positive
change in the larger group?
What growth trajectory does each person on
your team want to be on right now?
Have you given everybody opportunities that
are in line with what they really want?
Let go of all judgments. Look at the following
two columns of words and think about posi-
tive examples of people youve worked with
who would fall into each column. Think about
teams youve worked on that have needed
some of each and what the right ratio would
be. Then think about times in your life when
youve been in each of the columns and why.
Ideally, the choice would have been yours
and not your bosss.

Steep Growth Trajectory Gradual Growth Trajectory

Change Agent Force for Stability

Ambitious at Work Ambitious outside of work or simply content
in life
Wants new opportunities Happy in the current role
Superstar Rock Star

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 BIG IDEA #6: RECOGNITION PROMOTION

SPEEDS AND SLOWS AMBITION LEVELS

We all have periods in our lives when our pro-
fessional growth speeds up or slows down.
Just as there is nothing inherently ignoble
about ambition, there is no shame in being in
the same job for many years.
Do not be afraid to recognize a key report in a
rock star phase as designated guru. You may
be struck by how much deference is given to
them and how meaningful it can be for some-
one in this role.

Promotion often puts your rock stars in roles
they are not as well-suited for or dont want.
The key is to recognize their contribution in
other ways.
In World War II, the US Air Force took their
very best pilots off the front lines and sent
them home to train new pilots. Over time,
this strategy dramatically improved the qual-
ity and effectiveness of the US Air Force.
When the Germans lost all of their aces from
being shot down, their trained new recruits
were subparonly clocking half the hours of
American report. This tactic of having top pi-
lots pass knowledge down was monumental
in the war effort.
Always stay in tune with the level of ambition
of your employee. Keep in mind that the com-
pany mission may not be their end goal. They
may have their own side hustle that they pre-
fer to spend time on.
Recognition may come in the form of a bonus
or a raise. Or it may be a spotlight at your all-
hands meeting. It may be training new team
members if they enjoy teaching. Remember
to diversify and give your employee the ability
to turn it down if its not the next step they
are looking for.

Those who find work they can continue to love for

five or ten or thirty years, even if it doesnt lead to
some sort of advancement, are damn lucky. And
their teams and their bosses are lucky to have
them. Kick-ass bosses never judge people doing
great work as having capped out. Instead, they
treat them with the honor that they are due and
retain the individuals who will keep their team sta-
ble, cohesive, and productive.
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 YOU BETTER RECOGNIZE

APPLICATION TO LIFE QUESTION

Have you ever underestimated an employees Are you currently on a gradual or steep
contributions because they werent gunning growth trajectory? Were you ever on the op-
for a promotion? posite one?

Have you ever regretted clipping the wings of Have you ever been assigned extra responsi-
an employee on a steep growth trajectory? bility that you felt was a demotion rather than
a promotion?

Brainstorm ways that you can make team

members feel valued without depending on a
promotion, raise or bonus.

15
 BIG IDEA #7 FIRING

PROVEN CAPABLE CARE

If somebody hasnt proven they are capable, Give a damn. Youre going to get caught up
it is time to help them find a job where they in the HR and Legal advice. Remember that
can shine. the most important aspect of your job is still
there. Keep caring personally.
Your team has most likely been paying the
price for a team member that isnt carrying Follow-Up. Remember that its important to
their full weight. If youve been giving guid- keep thinking about your employee even after
ance, your problematic employee most likely theyve left the company. Sometimes a small
know that they are the weak link. Give them interaction can ease your mind. You may also
the opportunity to be happy elsewhere. hear of a good opportunity that youll want to
bring them.
Dont wait too long. The sooner that you can
identify underperformance, the more time
youll give a person to address it. By buying
them time to improve, you can save yourself
from legal action after the fact. By moving
quickly, youre respecting the people who are
doing excellent work.

Dont make the decision unilaterally. If you

have an HR department, now is the time to
take them up on the advice they have been
offering. Go to an experienced manager for
help. If youre asked to write a Performance
Improvement Plan--- make it fair, but not too
easy! Have someone edit it and tell you what
landed with them.

When you have to fire people, do it with humility.

Remember, the reason you have to fire them is
not that they suck. Its not even that they suck at
this job. Its that this jobthe job you gave them
sucks for them.
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 GREAT BALLS OF FIRE

APPLICATION TO LIFE QUESTION

Are there underperformers in your company? Whose name comes to mind when you ask
yourself that question?

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 BIG IDEA #8 GET STUFF DONE WHEEL
PREPARED EXECUTION
Instead of diving into a project right away,
make sure your team is fully on board and
prepared to execute by using the Get Stuff
Done (GSD) Wheel.
When run effectively, the GSD wheel will en-
able your team to achieve more collectively
than anyone could ever dream of achieving
individually.
First, you have to listen to the ideas that peo-
ple on your team have and create a culture in
which they listen to each other. Find a way to
listen that fits your personal style, and then
create a culture in which everyone listens to
each other, so that all the burden of listening
doesnt fall on you.
PERSUADE
You have to persuade those who werent in-
volved in a decision that it was a good one,
so that everyone can execute it effectively. Ex-
pecting others to execute on a decision with-
out being persuaded that its the right thing
to do is a recipe for terrible results. Block time
to execute.
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SHARPEN AND CLARIFY
Next, you have to create a space in which
ideas can be sharpened and clarified, to
make sure these ideas dont get crushed be-
fore everyone fully understands their poten-
tial usefulness. But just because an idea is
easy to understand doesnt mean its a good
one. Next, you have to debate ideas and test
them more rigorously.
Decidequickly, but not too quickly. Since
not everyone will have been involved in the
listen-clarify-debate-decide part of the cycle
for every idea, the next step is to bring the
broader team along. Do not combine deci-
sion and debate meetings. And you must es-
tablish that the decider, whether thats you or
somebody else on your team, has credibility if
you expect others to execute on the decision.
LEARN FROM RESULTS
Then, having executed, you have to learn
from the results, whether or not you did the
right thing, and start the process over again.
Do not allow any part of the process to drag
out. Your team will feel like they are paying a
collaboration tax, not making a collaboration
investment.
 GET STUFF DONE WHEEL

As the boss, you are the editor, not the author.

Taking the moments to help clarify the ideas will
save you time in the long run. Far too often we as-
sume that if somebody doesnt understand what
were telling them, its because they are stupid or
close minded. That is very rarely the case. While
we know our subject matter, we may fail to know
the person to whom we are explaining the sub-
ject, and therefore may fail to get our idea across.
19
 BECOME A MASTER OF EXECUTION

APPLICATION TO LIFE QUESTION

How do strategies and goals get set at your Who on your team would make a good
company? decider?

Determine what type of listener you are so

that you can address the weaknesses and
strengths of that habit.

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 BIG IDEA #9 IDEAS TEAM

With a few approval signatures, Kim made

GROWING FAST the customer support team 30% more effec-
tive and communicated her passion for hear-
As a company grows, a lot of big ideas will ing out all ideas.
come into play as more voices are added to
the equation. Its important that employees Agree to let the ideas team ask you for some
feel encouraged to voice new ideas whenev- help (three action items a week). Champi-
er they appear. Creating an Ideas Team will on the system enthusiastically. Define clear
ensure that none of these ideas get lost and boundaries of how much time you can spend-
employees feel heard. --and then make sure that time is highly im-
pactful.
The ideas team has to commit to listening to
any idea that anyone brings to them, to ex-
plain clearly why they rejected the ideas they
rejected, and to help people implement ideas
that the ideas team deemed worthwhile.
Kim tells the story of a customer support
leader who brought forward the idea of pro-
grammable keyboards. Before the idea team,
this idea had been tossed around by several
employees, but no one every pushed it for-
ward into implementation.

A culture that captures thousands of small

innovations can create benefits for customers
that are impossible for competitors to imitate. If
you can build a culture where people listen to one
another, they will start to fix things you as the boss
never even knew were broken.
21
 IDEAS ARE EASY. IMPLEMENTATION IS HARD.

APPLICATION TO LIFE QUESTION

What is one idea that multiple employees How does an employee feel when you ex-
have brought you that youve been unable to press interest in their concept, but never take
get accomplished? action?

Visualize how your idea team will function.

What authority do you plan on giving them?
How will they notify the entire company of
the ideas they choose to implement? Who is
the best person to put in charge of such an
effort?

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 BIG IDEA #10 IMPLEMENTATION OF A CULTURE

Come up with your own stories for each quad-

PERMEATING CONCEPTS
Most people who encounter Radical Candor
understand that it can improve performance
and reduce politics. Implementation, howev-
er, requires starting right away and continu-
ous practice to make lasting change.
Make sure that your team understands and
internalizes the Radical Candor vocabulary.
Put up the printouts in conference rooms, 1:1
rooms, or wherever your team will see it reg-
ularly.
rant and share them with your team. By com-
municating that you want to improve, youll
show your team that youre serious about
the cultural shift. Ask your team to rate your
feedback so that theyre better able to tell you
when they feel you are veering into one of the
three quadrants. Remind them that labels are
for behavior, not people.

When Radical Candor is encouraged and support-

ed by the boss, communication flows, resentments
that have festered come to the surface and get
resolved, and people begin to love not just their
work but whom they work with and where they
work.
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 CULTURAL CHANGE

APPLICATION TO LIFE QUESTION

When did somebody give you some Radically Who is the most important person in your or-
Candid feedback that maybe stung a little bit ganizational structure that will help you im-
in the moment but stood you in good stead plement this cultural change?
for the rest of your career?

How can you make the physical environment

reflect that you take a Radically Candid cul-
ture seriously?

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MY OWN NOTES

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MY OWN NOTES

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