Book Review: Radical Candor

My former colleague Hadi Hariri has recommended this book to me a long time ago. He left JetBrains last month, so I decided it is a good time to finally write a review.

The book has been on my table for a past year or two and I tried to consult with it every time I had a difficult situation on the job. Critics say that the author too often remembers cool places she worked at, as if she were bragging. Well, maybe. But she also provides a lot of great examples of how to set up the environment and culture in the team to achieve the best results together.

Overall the main concept of the Radical Candor approach is about two things.

Care personally

Managers are working with people, and everyone is different. People on your team have different motivations and personal goals, find themselves on a different stages of their careers, and different life situations.

It’s not your job to solve all of this, but you must acknowledge it and find your own personal approach to all your direct reports.

Challenge directly

Caring doesn’t mean protect ing from the outside world. To grow as a person and as a professional, people need to be challenged. It is better to be open and clear about it. Help them find where they can apply their skills and experience in the best possible way for them and for the business.

But also be clear, when they are taking a wrong turn and why.

Conclusion

The things written here and in the book might seem obvious, but I’ve seen so many examples, and experienced myself, when managers do not care and ignore their employees, so it is still worth repeating.

★★★★★ Must read for all (wannabe) managers of all levels

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