How to Give and Receive Radical Candor Feedback

🚨 Your team isn't afraid to give feedback. They just don't think you want it. Here's the uncomfortable truth: Most feedback cultures fail because leaders say they want honesty, but their behavior says otherwise. The solution? Stop waiting for people to speak up. Make asking for feedback the norm. 💡 4 Ways to Build a Culture Where Feedback Flows Freely: 1️⃣ Teach people HOW to ask ❌ "Any feedback?" = crickets ✅ "What's one thing I could improve in that pitch?" Vague questions get vague answers. Train your team to ask specific, targeted questions tied to real goals. Make it part of onboarding and daily work. 2️⃣ Leaders: Ask first, ask often 🎯 Want your team to be open? You go first. When leaders consistently seek feedback and actually act on it, you signal that curiosity is safe. You're not just talking about psychological safety—you're modeling it. 3️⃣ Celebrate the askers 🏆 Recognize people who actively seek input in team meetings, reviews, and promotions. When asking for feedback becomes a sign of strength (not weakness), it becomes contagious. Make it a leadership competency, not a personality trait. 4️⃣ Build it into the rhythm ⚙️ Don't leave feedback to chance. Embed it into: → Weekly check-ins → Project debriefs → 1-on-1s → Team rituals When asking becomes routine, it stops feeling risky. 🔑 The Bottom Line: You don't have a feedback problem. You have an invitation problem. The strongest teams don't wait for permission to be honest—they create systems where honesty is the default.

“Feedback is a Gift, Not a Weapon” The way you give feedback decides whether people grow or give up. Feedback isn’t about pointing out what went wrong — it’s about helping someone get it right next time. Over the years, I’ve seen two kinds of feedback cultures: • One where people fear it. • Another where people look forward to it. The difference? Intent and tone. When feedback feels like a judgment, it shuts people down. When it feels like an investment, it lifts them up. As leaders, our words can either build confidence or break momentum. That’s why it’s not enough to be honest — we also need to be kind. True feedback: • Clarifies, not confuses. • Encourages, not embarrasses. • Guides, not guards. Because when people trust that feedback is coming from a place of care, they stop defending themselves and start developing themselves. 💬 How do you make feedback feel safe and constructive for your team?

Feedback can be medicine or poison, depending on how it’s given and how it’s received. I’ve learned that healthy feedback isn’t about proving a point. It’s about protecting the relationship while pursuing growth. When giving feedback: Speak from care, not criticism. Be clear, not cutting. Focus on the behavior, not the person. When receiving feedback: Listen to understand, not defend. Separate your worth from the words. Ask yourself, “Is there truth here I can grow from?” Because the health of your team — and your leadership — often shows up in how safely people can share truth. Feedback isn’t failure. It’s a form of investment. How would your team dynamics change if feedback was seen as care, not confrontation? Micro Shift: This week, ask someone you trust: “What’s one thing I could do differently to support you better?” Then just listen. ➡️Follow Keisa C. for more leadership tips.

Feedback isn’t an event - it’s a habit. When feedback only happens during performance reviews or annual check-ins, it becomes something people brace for, not reach for. But when it’s woven into daily conversations, it builds trust, energy, and growth. True feedback culture isn’t about control. It’s about connection. When leaders notice effort, name growth, and nurture progress in real time, they turn feedback into a living loop - not a quarterly formality. • Shift from feedback to feedforward: focus less on what went wrong, more on what could go right next time. • Build systems that normalise appreciation as much as correction. • See feedback not as a verdict, but as a conversation about possibility. The kind leader’s mindset: Feedback = Care + Courage. When leaders see feedback as an act of kindness, it becomes the fuel of growth - not the fear of judgment.

Feedback is a gift. Feedback is a muscle. Feedback is Leadership. And one of the most useful tools I've found for giving feedback is the SBI model: 💡Situation, Behavior, Impact. It keeps things clear and grounded: Situation → where/when it happened Behavior → what you observed (not your judgment) Impact → the effect it had It removes judgment and keeps things focused on growth. Real-Time Feedback > Annual Reviews. The most effective feedback is also timely. Don't save it for a quarterly cycle or bury it in an annual review. If it happens today, say something today. The more real-time it is, the more natural it feels. Over time, it stops being "a thing" and just becomes how you work together. Balanced Feedback > "Can We Chat?" Dread. Celebrate wins in the moment. Recognize strengths you want repeated. And yes, have the harder conversations too, but in the same spirit of growth. Consistency Builds Trust. When feedback flows regularly, both positive and constructive, it becomes normal. And the awkwardness fades. 👉 A Gentle Invitation: Try giving one small piece of real-time feedback this week. Celebrate a win. Or nudge a behavior. See how it shifts the energy. Because feedback doesn't have to be awkward. And when done well, feedback is leadership.

If you’re avoiding feedback because you want to be liked, you’re not leading, you’re hiding. This is where so many new managers stumble. They confuse popularity with effectiveness. They tiptoe around performance issues. They let small problems slide until they become big ones. And then wonder why their team isn’t improving. The Problem External: Team members don’t get the guidance they need, so performance stalls. Internal: You feel anxious about confrontation and hope problems just… go away. Philosophical: Leadership isn’t about being liked, it’s about making people better. I’ve coached managers who were terrified to give feedback, until they realized something powerful: When delivered with clarity and respect, feedback is a gift. It shows you care enough to invest in someone’s growth. 3 steps to give feedback without crushing morale: 1. Be clear, not cruel. State the behavior and the impact, not vague opinions. 2. Make it a dialogue. Ask for their perspective and involve them in the solution. 3. Follow up. Show that you care about their progress, not just the correction. New managers, if you’re stuck between wanting to be liked and needing to be effective, it’s time to build confidence in tough conversations. 📩 DM me “Feedback” and I’ll send you my free guide with scripts and approaches to help guide you.

Feedback isn’t criticism — it’s your secret weapon for growth. Most people hear the word “feedback” and immediately brace for impact. But the truth is — when done right, feedback isn’t about pointing out flaws. It’s about unlocking potential. Early in my career, I was fortunate to have a leader who understood this. They didn’t wait for annual reviews to tell me how I was doing — they made feedback part of the everyday rhythm. It was clear. It was constructive. And it helped me grow faster than any training program ever could. That experience shaped how I lead today — because I’ve seen firsthand that great feedback creates great teams. Here are 3 principles to provide effective feedback: 1️⃣ Make feedback continuous, not calendar-based. Don’t save it for performance reviews — give it in real time so it becomes part of your culture. 2️⃣ Focus on behavior, not personality. When you address actions (not character), people stay open and engaged. 3️⃣ End with clarity and follow-up. Feedback only works if there’s a next step and accountability for growth. When feedback becomes a tool for connection — not correction — performance naturally follows. The best leaders don’t use feedback to point fingers. They use it to pull people forward. 💬 Leaders in my network...I want to hear from you. How do you approach feedback in your organization? Leave a COMMENT below! #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement #StaffingWednesday #PerformanceManagement #WorkplaceCulture

Spoiler Alert: Your feedback sandwich isn’t going to work without emotional intelligence (EQ). Because here’s the truth: - Critical feedback without empathy sounds like judgment. - Critical feedback without curiosity feels like blame. - Critical feedback without cultural awareness lands harder on some employees than others. As you prepare your managers for end-of-year reviews, don’t just hand them talking points. Teaching feedback as a script falls EGREGIOUSLY short! What matters is the leader’s ability to read the room, regulate their own emotions, and connect with the person in front of them. At Liberated Development, we coach leaders to build the emotional intelligence that makes feedback land as development, not damage. Because when leaders give feedback with clarity and care, trust grows instead of erodes. If your leaders are struggling with feedback, the problem may not be the tools, it may be EQ. Let’s talk about how to strengthen it across your leadership team.

Most feedback ruins relationships because people mess it up. Here's how to give feedback that actually helps without making things weird. It's from Radical Candor. Three parts: 1️⃣ Make the observation objective ❌ "You're always late." ✅ "You showed up 10 minutes late to the last three meetings." Facts. Not opinions. Just what actually happened. 2️⃣ Make the impact personal ❌ "It's unprofessional." ✅ Tell them how it actually affects you or the team. Make it real. Not some vague corporate speak. 3️⃣ Share what you'd do if it applies You don't always have to. But if you know a better way, show them what you'd do instead. The key: Be specific. They need to know exactly what they did and how it messed things up. No guessing. No getting defensive. Just straight talk. 🎥 Full framework in the video DM FEEDBACK for the Weekly Leadership Pulse Template - how you structure feedback that improves performance without destroying trust. What's the hardest feedback you've ever had to give?

The “yuck sandwich” (positive feedback → negative feedback → positive feedback) is a classic tool, but in practice, it often falls short. It used to be really popular but now leaders are recognizing it can fall short and potentially do more damage. People frequently focus only on the positive, missing the constructive points entirely. Worse, the praise can feel contrived, undermining authenticity. In my view, separate praise from constructive feedback. Be specific with your compliments. Address issues directly, factually, and with clear expectations. If circumstances force you to communicate via email, the yuck sandwich can provide structure, but in face-to-face conversations, dialogue and curiosity are far more effective.  Thanks to Tim Hamons for this awesome visual.