Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity

by Kim Malone Scott

“Why?” “How can I help?” “What can I do or stop doing that would make this easier?” “What wakes you up at night?” “What are you working on that you don’t want to work on?” “Do you not want to work on it because you aren’t interested or because you think it’s not important?” “What can you do to stop working on it?” “What are you not working on that you do want to work on?” “Why are you not working on it?” “What can you do to start working on it?” “How do you feel about the priorities of the teams you’re dependent on?” “What are they working on that seems unimportant or even counterproductive?” “What are they not doing that you wish they would do?” “Have you talked to these other teams directly about your concerns? If not, why not?” (Important note: the goal here is to encourage the people to raise the issue directly with each other, not to solve the problem for them. See “Prevent Backstabbing” in chapter six.)