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‘Nice’ Is a Four-Letter Word at Companies Practicing Radical Candor

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Re: ‘Nice’ Is a Four-Letter Word at Companies Practicing Radical Candor

#21

Post by protomyth »

slmyers wrote: post #16

Is being able to deliver blunt and direct criticism without being rude a unique or rare skill?

I don't think the skill is that rare, but I think the application of the skill is rare. There tends to be external factors which might lead a person to be angry which seeps into the criticism as rudeness. I think a lot of people can deliver blunt and direct criticism to a stranger in a cool, calm manner. It's dealing with the familiar people that makes it difficult.

I've watched my Dad do it and it also tends to shock the recipient when they expect some anger, etc.

Re: ‘Nice’ Is a Four-Letter Word at Companies Practicing Radical Candor

#22

Post by dclowd9901 »

golemotron wrote: post #20

The clash between this and the culture of "trigger warnings" and "safe-spaces" that people are picking up in universities will be a thing to watch.

Aren't trigger warnings a bit daft? How on earth are you supposed to reasonably account for a universe of possible scenarios that might "trigger" someone.

By the way I say this fully aware that I am privileged to not suffer from, well, whatever triggers actually do to people... ("Feel bad" is all I can figure)

Re: ‘Nice’ Is a Four-Letter Word at Companies Practicing Radical Candor

#24

Post by theseatoms »

dclowd9901 wrote: post #22
golemotron wrote: post #20

The clash between this and the culture of "trigger warnings" and "safe-spaces" that people are picking up in universities will be a thing to watch.

Aren't trigger warnings a bit daft? How on earth are you supposed to reasonably account for a universe of possible scenarios that might "trigger" someone. By the way I say this fully aware that I am privileged to not suffer from, well, whatever triggers actually do to people... ("Feel bad" is all I can figure)

I'd appreciate it if you'd respect my trigger warning for the phrase "trigger warning". Thanks.

Re: ‘Nice’ Is a Four-Letter Word at Companies Practicing Radical Candor

#25

Post by surfaceTensi0n »

dclowd9901 wrote: post #22
golemotron wrote: post #20

The clash between this and the culture of "trigger warnings" and "safe-spaces" that people are picking up in universities will be a thing to watch.

Aren't trigger warnings a bit daft? How on earth are you supposed to reasonably account for a universe of possible scenarios that might "trigger" someone. By the way I say this fully aware that I am privileged to not suffer from, well, whatever triggers actually do to people... ("Feel bad" is all I can figure)

(Note: I did not read the article so I can't speak to the GP's point, but this comment isn't really about the article.)

I don't think so. I don't think people are asking for all possible triggering scenarios to be covered. They're asking for people to take some time and consider how others (less privilege || victims of abuse ||etc.) might be affected. A trigger warning is essentially a heads up.

Re: ‘Nice’ Is a Four-Letter Word at Companies Practicing Radical Candor

#26

Post by imh »

Do we really have such poor social skills that candor and niceness are at odds? Really? I get that it can be a difficult goal to achieve both, but goddammit we're all adults here. We should all have developed those skills! Just because you're going to be frank doesn't mean you have to be an asshole about it. This whole idea seems to justify people taking the easy way and putting nice and candid at opposite ends of a spectrum.

Re: ‘Nice’ Is a Four-Letter Word at Companies Practicing Radical Candor

#27

Post by [deleted] »

Apanatshka wrote: post #9
everly wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Click the 'web' link below the title to be taken to the Google results for the article's title, which you can click on for unfettered access.

Doesn't work for me. Does this trick require JavaScript execution or cookies?

[deleted]

Re: ‘Nice’ Is a Four-Letter Word at Companies Practicing Radical Candor

#28

Post by super2 »

It would be great if we could practice Radical Candor here on HN. Let me give it a try.

I believe that mono-cultures perform much better than diverse cultures, and that startups who actually practice diversity (as opposed to giving lip service) are less competitive. As evidence, I submit that the core teams of every monster startup I can think of were mono cultures.

However once a company reaches critical mass, then diversity is a useful tool to increase the labor supply and thereby minimize wages. In well established industries, globalism and immigration are useful tools to increase labor supply and diminish wage pressure.

Under this theory, both diversity and globalism are tools used by 1%-capitalists to wage economic war on the middle class. Economic data shows the economic war is working.

Furthermore I assert that those who control the media actively suppress thoughtful critiques of diversity and immigration in order to protect their economic interests.

WDYT?

Re: ‘Nice’ Is a Four-Letter Word at Companies Practicing Radical Candor

#29

Post by Dirlewanger »

imh wrote: post #26

Do we really have such poor social skills that candor and niceness are at odds? Really? I get that it can be a difficult goal to achieve both, but goddammit we're all adults here. We should all have developed those skills! Just because you're going to be frank doesn't mean you have to be an asshole about it. This whole idea seems to justify people taking the easy way and putting nice and candid at opposite ends of a…

While I agree with everything you said, have you (speaking with candor) not been paying attention the past decade or so? A lawsuit-trigger-happy populace coupled with millienials entering the workplace has caused such collective scarring that institutions like academia and workplaces are reacting. We're now equating emotional distress with material injury, and it's having vile reverberations that won't be fully felt for decades. It's censorship wrapped in hip new packaging. It's nightmarish to witness.

This is what happens when children are raised in frictionless environments. The real world doesn't care about your feelings.

(Can't wait for the downvotes)

Re: ‘Nice’ Is a Four-Letter Word at Companies Practicing Radical Candor

#30

Post by CloudYeller »

codeonfire wrote: post #17
dawnbreez wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The idea is to dispel office politics by telling people to stop hiding their feelings and opinions. The problem is that assholes will use it to justify being a dick, just as they used office politics and Ayn Rand.

In reality managers do stuff like hide their opinions so people will stick around so they can burn them at review time. If someone quits too soon, the manager may have to burn someone they like. How did working get to be so dumb?

Work battles are kinda dumb, but in a way, they aren't dumb-- they're a much smarter and less-deadly form of primitive warfare. We're not perfect today, but ideas like enforcing openness+honesty in a safe environment will drive us even further away from the stone age mentality of physically harming someone who displeases you.

Michael Jensen has been doing some research on the benefits of honesty-- you should check out his controversial research on integrity [0]. I think he'd support the idea of calling out managers who hide their opinions from you. Further, Google has done some HR research[1] that has called "psychological safety" the #1 driver of team effectiveness.

[0] http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1511274 [1] https://rework.withgoogle.com/blog/five-keys-to-a-successful...

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