Construction and Application of Radical Candor: Efficiency of Criticism at Work

Abstract

Negative feedback has been repeatedly identified as beneficial for organizational learning, adaptability, and performance. Despite having these advantages, most organizations still do not use negative feedback to its full potential, as they fail to spread it correctly among their members. The application of negative feedback, therefore, faces several issues like misuse or process avoidance that are mostly driven by psychological factors. The purpose of this paper is to discuss potential benefits of a newly emerged organizational approach called radical candor for contemporary state of the art in feedback-related behavior and to propose how it might be successfully applied in organizational settings. We define radical candor as a proactive and compassionate engagement in an unpleasant and direct feedback process. Radical candor may help reduce the influence of psychological factors like extreme levels of attachment, harsh emotions or low self-esteem in order to make organizational members more engaged and satisfied with the negative feedback process. Organizations willing to apply radical candor might consider either official implementation from top to bottom (through managers and leadership) or unofficial intervention through the agents (employees of all levels) depending on company characteristics.

The Importance of Tough-Love Mentoring to Doctoral Student Success: Instruments to Measure the Doctoral Student/Proteges’ Perspective

“…Consistent with Vich and Kim (2016), the researcher encourages mentors' to focus on the development of feedback skills and personal qualities of proactivity and compassion. The researcher also recommends that protégés develop proactive communication skills by developing ways to invite feedback from their mentors.…”

“…Similarly, Singer and Klimecki (2014) claim that mentors should create a climate of compassion in the mentor/protégé relationship characterized by "feelings of warmth, concern and care for the [protégé], as well as a strong motivation to improve the [protégé's] wellbeing" (p. 875). According to Vich and Kim (2016) when protégés believe their mentors have their best interests in mind, they are more likely to accept critical feedback. If mentors deliver critical feedback without first creating the climate of compassion, the protégés may receive it as harsh feedback and they may become discouraged and resentful.…”

Leading with love and hospitality: applying a radical pedagogy to LIS

“…Productive feedback and praise are also facilitated by open communication, and these processes will be made easier if teachers and learners have established trust and exhibit sincere care for one another. Radical candor can increase the sense of belonging felt in a classroom, and it can raise self-esteem confidence levels which in turn can increase student engagement and willingness to respond to feedback (Vich and Kim, 2016).…”