Radical Candor: Communication at Work

Ditch the awkwardness and start owning every conversation. Talking to people shouldn’t feel like a struggle—but let’s be honest, it often does. Maybe you’re stuck in small talk hell, getting ignored in meetings, or watching conversations die mid-sentence. Why is this so hard? Amy sits down with Dr. Alison Wood Brooks, Harvard Business School professor and author of Talk: The Science of Conversatio...

When a PIP feels like a setup, how do you handle it without compromising your integrity? Trapped between an HR-driven process that feels like a sham and a direct report who’s not meeting expectations? That’s a management nightmare. When a boss hands you a struggling employee with the unspoken expectation that you’ll “manage them out,” how do you stay honest, maintain trust, and avoid turning into...

Too many direct reports and not enough time? Fix that without losing your sanity. Drowning in direct reports and barely keeping your head above water? When you’re responsible for 30 to 50 people, the idea of meaningful one-on-ones is a joke—but so is pretending you can manage that many people without a meltdown. On this episode, Kim and Amy rip apart the myth that “just working harder” will fix th...

Avoiding tough conversations? Lean in, speak up, and make them count. Ever find yourself avoiding a tough conversation at work because, well…it’s just easier? We get it. But what if leaning into discomfort could actually make things better—for you, your team, and your company? In this episode, Kim and Amy sit down with Amandeep (Aman) Kochar, CEO of Baker & Taylor, to talk about how he uses Radica...

Undermining, defiant and disengaged direct report—coach them or cut them loose? Dealing with a direct report who questions everything, isolates their team, and actively undermines leadership? YIKES. That’s not just frustrating—it’s a full-blown leadership headache. When radical candor turns into outright defiance, how do you respond without losing your mind (or your team’s trust)? In this episode,...

Vague feedback is a fail—neurodivergent minds need clear, direct guidance to thrive. Is vague feedback just bad management, or are we failing neurodivergent employees by not giving them what they actually need? Kim sits down with the legendary Dr. Temple Grandin to challenge common misconceptions about feedback and explore why clarity is key—especially for those who think and process the world dif...

Why most career conversations fail—and how to make them actually matter. Are career conversations a game-changer, or just another corporate mirage? In part two of this two-part episode, Kim, Amy, and Russ Laraway cut through the fluff and expose why most career talks fail before they even start. Managers love to preach growth, but when it comes to actually helping their people build meaningful car...

Russ Laraway breaks down why your leadership isn’t working—and how to fix it. Stuck in a cycle of vague goals, half-hearted feedback, and meaningless career talks? Let’s call it what it is—bad leadership. In part one of this two part episode, Kim, Amy, and Russ Laraway rip into the mistakes that are killing your team’s engagement and results. Russ brings the heat with his “Big Three” leadership es...

What happens when you gut the glue holding your team together? Is middle management really dead weight, or are we cutting off the wrong limb? In this episode, Amy and Jason take on the hype around “The Great Flattening” and call out the risks of gutting the layer that keeps organizations running smoothly. Sure, middle managers have their flaws—what role doesn’t? But eliminating them entirely isn’t...

Tech’s “meritocracy” is broken—Ellen Pao unpacks how to fix it. Alright, let’s get real—tech’s so-called “meritocracy” is doing more harm than good, and it’s time to face it head-on. This week we’re bringing you an episode of the Radical Respect podcast. Kim and Wesley sit down with Ellen Pao, founder of Project Include, to dig into how the industry’s obsession with merit often masks deep-seated b...

Ditch the drama and rebuild connection where it counts. Feeling overwhelmed by workplace polarization, the loneliness epidemic, and the constant whirl of change? You’re not alone—and neither are your teams. On this episode of Radical Candor, Kim and Amy bring in Heather McGowan, future-of-work strategist, to dig into why we’re so divided and distracted at work—and what leaders can actually do abou...

Everyday actions, when turned into rituals, can manage emotions and create a sense of meaning. Amy Sandler is joined by Harvard Business School Professor Michael Norton to discuss his latest book, The Ritual Effect. Norton explores the significance of rituals in reducing stress and enhancing productivity, both at work and in personal life. He shares compelling research and personal anecdotes that...

Practicing Radical Candor with your family members this holiday season. Holiday communication with your family can be rife with stress. And while you love your family, let’s be frank, family togetherness during the holidays often goes sideways. So much so that it’s become a trope that’s spawned dozens of holiday movies. But you can survive it by practicing Radical Candor with your nearest and dear...

How the CORE method can help you thrive in the messy middle. Caught in the middle of a boss who’s all care but no action and a team lead who’s full steam ahead with no brakes? That’s a workplace tightrope no one wants to walk. Your ability to Care Personally and Challenge Directly can seriously be affected when communication falls apart on both ends of the spectrum, and it’s not just frustrating—i...

Showing respect when you just don’t connect. Ever feel like caring about a coworker is just...not in the cards? Same. Here’s the thing though – you don’t have to be besties to show respect and keep things productive. In this episode, Kim, Amy, and Jason tackle the tough question of how to Care Personally when someone’s driving you up the wall. With relatable stories (yes, even a deodorant conversa...

Tune in to the Radical Candor podcast to learn to love your job and kick ass at work without losing your humanity by practicing the principles of Radical Candor. Host and Lead Radical Candor Coach Amy Sandler leads discussions with Radical Candor Author and Co-founder Kim Scott and CEO and Co-founder Jason Rosoff about what it means to be Radically Candid, why it’s simple but not easy to Care Pers...

Uncovering the messy reality of salary secrecy. Pay transparency—yikes, it’s one of those topics that makes everyone squirm, but avoiding it does more harm than good. Let’s be real: when salaries are shrouded in secrecy, it doesn’t just make things awkward—it allows inequity and mistrust to thrive. And here’s the kicker: people are already talking about pay, just in whispers instead of open, produ...

Missed promotions, broken promises, and the fallout that follows. Promotions gone wrong? Yeah, it’s a thing. On this episode, Kim and former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo tackle a listener’s tale of missed opportunities, broken promises, and a management team that just can’t get it together. From the cringe-worthy red flags to the frustrating aftermath, they explore how leadership missteps can wreak ha...

The fine line between transparency and TMI. Let’s get into it: oversharing at work — we’ve all done it, and we’ve all cringed after. But here’s the tea: when we spill sensitive info without thinking, we’re not just breaking trust, we’re tanking our ability to Care Personally and Challenge Directly. In this episode, Kim, Jason, and Amy dig into a listener's story about sharing too much too soon and...

Susan Rigetti on speaking up, keeping receipts, and why silence is never the answer. We’re shaking up the workplace and diving deep into the raw reality of whistleblowing and the courage it takes to speak up with this special episode from the Radical Respect podcast. Kim, Wesley, and special guest Susan Rigetti, author of Whistleblower, break down the challenges of calling out toxic systems while...

Brace yourself—this episode is all about navigating workplace tension with Radical Candor. Kim and Amy team up with Denise Hamilton, author of Indivisible: How to Forge Our Differences Into a Stronger Future, to tackle the complicated landscape of workplace polarization and the radical power of respect. Denise, known for her "irrational optimism," sheds light on how we can bridge deep divides, eve...

Handling workplace bullying when family dynamics are involved. We need to talk about nepotism and workplace bullying, because WHEW, does it ever mess with our ability to Care Personally and Challenge Directly! Here's the real deal — when family ties eclipse talent, we're not just hurting individual careers. We're poisoning the well of psychological safety that teams need to thrive. How can you tel...

With feedback, how do you measure what matters? Kim, Jason, and Amy dive into the art of measuring feedback, emphasizing that it's not just about what you say, but how it's heard. It's crucial to pay attention to how your feedback lands and be ready to adjust your approach, especially when you notice defensiveness or indifference. Tune in to explore practical strategies for handling emotional reac...

Effectively manage feedback you disagree with. On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, we tackle a challenge that's at the heart of Radical Candor: what to do when you receive feedback you don't agree with. It's a question we get all the time, and it's crucial because how we handle these moments can make or break our relationships at work. The team gets into the get into the nitty-gritty of...

In this episode of the Radical Candor Podcast, Jason and Amy discuss how to introduce radical candor to teams effectively. They emphasize the importance of starting small, creating pockets of excellence, and the role of accountability and praise in fostering a feedback culture. The conversation also covers effective communication strategies for implementing change, real-world examples of cultural...