How to Encourage Feedback Between Others 3 | 10

Brandi Neal
Oct 18, 2021 1:00:17 AM

How to Encourage Feedback Between Others: Episode at a Glance

It’s a lot easier to lead by example than it is to change other people’s behavior. If you want to encourage feedback between the people on your team or at your organization, you’re going to have to create an environment where people feel safe and encouraged to give real feedback. On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, Kim, Jason and Amy talk about how to encourage feedback between others so you can keep this whole Radical Candor thing going after you've read the book, listened to a keynote or taken a workshop.

Listen to the episode: How to Encourage Feedback Between Others 3 | 10 - Radical Candor: Communication at Work | Spotify

Radical Candor Podcast Checklist

  1. Walk the talk. You can’t expect other people to practice Radical Candor if you’re not modeling the behavior and if you haven’t created a psychologically safe environment.
  2. Facilitate clean escalation. Don’t allow others to talk about colleagues behind their backs. Encourage people to talk directly and if they still can’t resolve the issue and you’re the manager, set up a three-way conversation. With a supportive clean escalation meeting, you’ll help build trust between the two parties and show them how sharing criticism leads to a better outcome for everyone.
  3. Use peer recognition to celebrate wins and encourage praise between people. One simple way to do this is, if your company uses Slack, you can create a #kudos channel (this is great for remote teams). If you use Google Docs, Office 365, or other software with collaborative editing, you can easily create a shared document for shout-outs.

The Feedback Loop — Trailer - YouTube

Key Questions Covered

  • What is the Radical Candor Order of Operations for feedback?
    The Radical Candor Order of Operations is a four-step sequence for building a feedback culture: (1) Get Feedback — start by soliciting feedback yourself; (2) Give Feedback — model candid, caring feedback for others; (3) Gauge Feedback — assess how well feedback is flowing on your team; and (4) Encourage Feedback — create conditions where others give and receive feedback with each other.

  • How do I create psychological safety so my team feels comfortable giving feedback?
    Psychological safety — a concept developed by Amy Edmondson — means people feel heard and acknowledged rather than fearing retaliation. As a manager, you create it by actively and continually soliciting feedback and visibly rewarding it when you receive it. The goal is to make the rewards of speaking up more visible than the risks.

  • What should I do if a team member complains about a colleague instead of talking to them directly?
    Don't allow people to talk about colleagues behind their backs. Instead, facilitate what Radical Candor calls a "clean escalation" — encourage the person to address the issue directly with their colleague first. If they still can't resolve it, step in as the manager and set up a three-way conversation.

  • What are some practical ways to encourage peer-to-peer praise and recognition?
    One simple tactic is to create a dedicated peer recognition channel in your team's communication tools. For example, if your team uses Slack, set up a #kudos channel where anyone can publicly celebrate a colleague's win. If you use Google Docs or Office 365, create a shared document for shout-outs.

  • Why is encouraging feedback between others the last step, not the first?
    You can't credibly ask your team to practice Radical Candor if you haven't modeled it yourself first. The Order of Operations is intentionally sequenced: you start by learning to receive feedback, then give it well, then assess how it's flowing, and only then do you focus on encouraging it between others.