Feedback fails when we choose "nice" over "clear." Learn to balance Care and Challenge.
Quick Introduction
Have you ever struggled to give feedback without hurting someone’s feelings? Or have you held back honest thoughts, worrying it might damage relationships?
If so, the Radical Candor model can help.
Developed by Kim Scott, a former leader at Google and Apple, this model teaches us how to give feedback in a way that is both honest and caring. It is widely recognized as a powerful communication and management tool, showing leaders how to balance candor with empathy.
The goal is to help people improve while maintaining strong relationships and strengthening team culture.
What is Radical Candor
Radical Candor is not a communication technique. It is a diagnostic framework.
Overall, Radical Candor is about balancing two things:
- Caring personally – Showing that you respect and value the other person.
- Challenging directly – Giving clear and honest feedback, even when it is tough.
Kim Scott explains this idea using a 2x2 framework. Each quadrant represents a predictable failure mode.
