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Imagine a workplace where people interact in an open, honest, and forthright way; they communicate without reservation, saying what they mean.

Now imagine that workplace is also guided by the spirit of compassion 鈥� where interactions are both frank and kind; genuine and thoughtful.

To a communications practitioner, it sounds like workplace utopia! It sets the stage for robust organizational health 鈥� building relationship with every conversation. It also has the potential to create a true learning and collaborative environment. Imagine that!

Author Kim Scott, in her book 鈥淩adical Candor,鈥� speaks of a communication framework that is both challenging and caring, combining direct feedback with empathy. The aim of such a framework is to promote growth through sincere praise and clear, kind criticism. In other words, it鈥檚 the kind of cultural backbone that builds respect, trust, and excellence.

Creating space for candor

There鈥檚 a collection of skills and a particular mindset required to be effective at candor. It is not sufficient to be 鈥渄irect.鈥� Nor to 鈥渢ell it like it is,鈥� as if one has zero responsibility for one鈥檚 emotional wake. It is not a euphemism for brutal honesty. Practicing being candid isn鈥檛 about being stubbornly right. It is not a blank check to spew out one鈥檚 unprocessed thoughts and emotions. It鈥檚 also important to keep in mind that candor isn鈥檛 necessarily 鈥渢he truth.鈥� Nor does one鈥檚 opinion need to be expressed in every situation.

The goal is not to create a psychologically safe culture. The goal is to create a culture that can meet an organization鈥檚 demands, one that can deliver on its 鈥渞aison d’锚tre.鈥�

Psychological safety is the condition needed to foster such a culture, where candor is not only welcomed, but rewarded; where accountability is embraced, not merely used as a reprimand; where mistakes are portals of discovery and not shameful acts to be covered up; and where space is made for taking initiative and risks, disagreeing respectfully, and not having the answers.

Psychological safety is an indicator of a healthy, learning culture of contribution. It鈥檚 not about niceties or avoiding discomfort. In fact, if your culture lacks spirited discourse, it may not be as psychologically safe as you think. People may be holding back, playing it safe vs. feeling safe, and thereby not being fully engaged in creative problem-solving.

Candor plants the seeds for trusted collaboration. It can set the tone for meaningful dialogue 鈥� sparking a shared curiosity and commitment to delivering on the work. It鈥檚 the antithesis of hidden agendas or manipulative insincerity.

Candor can be refreshing

The fact that candor is frequently preceded by the adjective鈥�鈥榬efreshing鈥欌�痵uggests that it is often unexpected, a shift from guarded or euphemistic language. Candor, done right, can be refreshing and free. It can say, 鈥淚 hold you in high regard and want to share my take on things.鈥�

When people trust that you come with good intentions and speak truth, they know where they stand with you. There鈥檚 less ambiguity and second-guessing about the message or the motivation. This results in more transparency and less drama. And for people driven by efficiency, candor cuts through the noise and confusion that can stall progress.

Healthy candor is sharing your perspective, from the heart, with a desire to do so for the greater good, from a place of respect and care, while raising the collective bar. It鈥檚 about creating a culture that brings out our best 鈥� removing obstacles, challenging assumptions, bringing clarity to expectations, and daylighting blind spots.聽It neither coddles nor demeans.

Good employees want candor!

I sat writing this column at a local watering hole, and in classic Karen fashion, while observing the scene around me. There was a table of three having a grand ole time together. Observation turned to engagement and soon they invited me to join them. I explained I couldn鈥檛 stay as I had to finish my column, and they asked what I was writing about. I responded, 鈥渋t鈥檚 about candor and psychological safety in the workplace.鈥� I learned they worked for the USPS, across different departments, and they were caring, passionate, frustrated, hopeful, and hungry for their culture to evolve. When I explained that psychological safety wasn鈥檛 about coddling but about creating the right conditions to do good work, one woman wholeheartedly welcomed the idea, saying they want a culture where they are 鈥渘ot babying, and putting up with ineptitude.鈥�

Candor in action

鈥淲hat one person sees as helpful鈥痗andor, another might experience as harsh criticism,鈥� Dr. Diane Hamilton said on鈥疐orbes.com. It takes practice to strike the right balance. Here are some examples:

• The CEO鈥檚鈥痗andor鈥痙uring the quarterly meeting helped employees understand the company鈥檚 challenges and how they could contribute to solutions.
• 鈥淚 appreciate your candor during that meeting. It was hard to hear but we had a more productive discussion as a result.鈥�
• 鈥淥ur 1:1 meetings are invaluable to me, yet when you keep rescheduling them it feels like they are not a priority to you. I appreciate you are busy, but can we be more consistent in meeting?鈥�
• 鈥淲ell, I could have handled that better. My passion overrode my patience.鈥�

Wanting a culture of trust and respect without a willingness to embrace radical candor is like wanting to be physically fit without the willingness and discipline to exercise regularly. It takes courage to overcome our fears to speak up and to stop tolerating a culture of mediocracy.

Imagine a culture of candor

Imagine a workplace where the unspoken is spoken, where there are no 鈥渆lephants in the room鈥� and fewer backroom negotiations and side conversations!

Think of it as the capacity to articulate your perspective, your thoughts and feelings in a clear, impactful, and effective way.

If in doubt, consider Scott鈥檚 summary of radical candor: 鈥渟aying what you think while giving a damn about the person you are saying it to.鈥�

Karen Natzel is a business therapist who helps leaders create healthy, vibrant and high-performing organizations. Contact her at 503-806-4361 or [email protected].

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the preceding commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Daily Journal of Commerce or its editors. Neither the author nor the 91视频 guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.