Radical candor, kind candor…on being direct

Hard messages are tough to deliver. No matter in a classroom, boardroom or relationship - hard messages are hard. And because they are hard, even the highest of leaders, doctors and lawyers have a tendency of dancing around the message.

We all know that being direct will save time and create clarity. We also know that if not done with compassion, can blow up in our faces. So we can rationalize why we may feel comfortable dancing instead of delivering the message.

So what is this magical approach? Growing up, we would hear about the sh#$ sandwich where we would present the hard message in between two soft compliments. But was that effective? Was it clear? What were the results?

I have posted before about radical candor - being direct. Here’s another take on it- caring candor. Same idea, different ways to approach it. Give it a read and let me know how it lands with you.