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Radical candor in understand what motivates each person on your team, growth management, understanding what matters and why and excellent performance/gradual growth trajectory.
Typology: Summaries
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1:7. (^) RADICAL CANDOR
You were also born with a capacity to connect, to care personally.
Well, stop repressing your innate ability to care personally. (^) Give a damnl
you job.
Helpíng people take a step in^ the dírection of their dreams
directly to you, to have real, human relationships-relationships that change
out of life. Building a team ishard.
RADICAL (^) CANDOR
They (^) have founcl their groove. (^) They don't wanr the next job (^) if it will take
most don't. If you honor (^) and reward the rock stars, (^) they'll become the people (^) you most rely on. If you (^) promote them inro roles (^) they don'r wanr or aren't suited for, however, (^) you'll lose them-or, even (^) worse, wind up firing them. (^) superstars, on the other (^) hand, need to be challenged (^) and given new opportunities to grow (^) constantly.
If I say a person is "ambirious,"^ do you have (^) a positive or a negarive (^) re- actionl Do you assume the person is hell-bent on personal gain and slightly sinister, willing to trample (^) others to achieve personal (^) goals? or do (^) you as- sume that the person (^) is responsible and gets things (^) done, a force for posirive change in the larger group? if I say a person (^) is "stable,"^ what is your "blink" (^) reaction? That (^) the person is a snooze (^) whom you'd rather not (^) sit next to at a dinner party? (^) or do you get a sense (^) of reiief and comfort and (^) think thar this is rhe (^) sort of person you'd like to (^) have more of in your life? (^) If I say a person is "contenr,"
more that way yourselfl (^) or do you assume (^) this is someone (^) who is going nowhere? Now, let go (^) of all these reactions and judgments. Look at (^) the folrowing two columns (^) of words and think about positive (^) examples of people you've
columns (^) and why. Ideally, the choice (^) wouid have been yours (^) and nor your boss's.
UNDERSTAND WHAT MOT]VATES EACH PERSON ON YOUR TEAM
Change agent Ambitious at work
Want new opportunitìes "Su perstar"
Force (^) for stabitity Ambitious outside of work (^) or simply content in^ life Happy in the current role "Rock (^) Star"
Shortly after I joined^ Google, Larry Page told me about a time when he'd
I-arry had been given an assignment that would have taken him a couple of
vantages of his approach to the boss, but the boss would have none of it: he insisted (^) that Larry do it "the^ way they'd always done it." Instead of two days,
time and effort were pure torture for him. As most of us have, Larry discov- e red that a boss who held him back could make iife miserable. "Three months of my life wasted and gone forever. I never want anyone at Google to have
squash their employees' ideas and ambitions. I loved that about Google. Now here's a story about a boss on a steep growth trajectory-me- who insisted that everybody share my ambitions, and how my experiences at Apple set me straight.
I was always looking for the best, the brightest, the brashest, and the most
that some people did not want the next, bigger job. When I designed Manag- ing at Apple, an early iteration of the class encouraged managers to focus the lion's share of attention and resources on the most ambitious people on their teams, often to the detriment of people doing equally good work and h"ppy to keep doing it-the backbone of a strong team. And, ironically, the kind of person I had become at that stage in my career.
RADICAL CANDOR
poor performance might just (^) be the boss,s (your) fault.
at a personal level. It's also (^) going to require you to have some of the hard- est conversations (^) you'll (^) ever have. sometimes, you'11 (^) even have (^) to fire people,
trajectories. (^) The assessment of past performance (^) on the (^) horizontal axis (^) of this
as good to be in the bottom-right (^) quadranr (^) as in the (^) upper-right. (^) Rock stars
as impo'rant (^) as growrh. The right mix (^) of each wiii (^) change over (^) time, but
their resuks (^) and more (^) intangible things rike "teamwork." The expected re- sults for (^) a given quarre¡ (^) or year are (^) ideaily set by the employee; they should be as (^) objective a'd (^) as measurable (^) as possible. The intangibles (^) are usualiy
should (^) be clea¡ here (^) as well. performance (^) is not a permanent (^) rabe1. (^) No per- son is always an "excellenr^ perfo¡mer." (^) They just performed (^) excellently last quarter.
ering how to manage (^) each type (^) of employee (^) to ensure your (^) team is cohe-
tivates (^) each person on youÍ team. you (^) also need to learn what (^) each person.s long-term (^) ambitions are, and (^) understand how their current (^) circumstances fit (^) into their morivarions (^) and (^) their life goars. (^) only when you (^) get to know
UNDERSTAND WHAT MOTIVATES EACH PERSON ON YOUR TEAM
rvl.rat they hope to get out of their careers, and where they are in the present
( (^) lonversations," Chapter Seven.)
rrirw skills or deepening existing ones quickiy. It's not about becoming a man-
It's about having an increased impact over time.
accumulated knowledge, and an attention to detail that someone in a super-
rock star phase will hate a superstar role. The team of diamond cutters I rnanaged in Russia-the guys I (^) wrote about in chapter one who taught rne to "care^ personally"-were master craftsmen, as skilled as anyone in
self when he was a younger, extremely ambitious, restless man. As he was building his company, he decided (^) to ry his hand at diamond cutting. One day he got on the phone, (^) started negotiating a big deal, got disracted, and
don't want a person^ on a steep-growth trajectory in a gradual growth- trajectory job.
l: iÌ
IiAI)ICAL CANDOR
later, both pivort'tl, ¡rorrlin.g;rll rlrat clrive and energy into their careers rather than into sl)( )r't s.' l'l rt'i l t rr l.<'t:1. (^) trajector.ies rocketed. ol'crrr'sr', r'rsr (^) .f us aren't aspiring (^) olympic athletes. I certainly am ll()t.'l'lì('r'('llt'l.rs of'reasons (^) why people shift (^) between a gradual and (^) a st('('l) (^) 1lr'()wth trajectory, (^) and circumstances (^) that spur one person to do one
more predictability. (^) Sometimes an ill relative requires a person ro ger (^) on a
ist as your graphic (^) designer, as long as (^) you don't insist that the artist get (^) on the fast track (^) at work.
take this to (^) mean that it is their job (^) to provide purpose tend to (^) overstep. In-
young (^) woman who'd studied philosophy (^) in coilege, called BS immediately.
Plutarch (^) laid bricks. spinoza (^) ground ienses. Tedium is part of rife." (^) I loved
"spinoza ground lenses" would (^) not have been inspiring for rhe (^) broader team. In (^) a burst of Radical (^) candor, Financial Times writer (^) Lucy Kelraway explained why she chose (^) to work for the companies she (^) did: "I (^) wenr for
JPMorgan and^ later^ for^ the FTbecause they^ were^ the^ only^ companies offering
today."*
UNDERSTAND WHAT MOTIVATES EACH PERSON^ ON^ YOUR^ TEAM
¡rolts the^ iife you want^ to^ lead.^ That^ has^ plenty^ of^ meaning.^ A^ wise man^ once
I looli CEO Gavin Belson from the show Silicon Valley.Which brings^ us^ back ro the main point of this chapter: your job^ is not^ to provide purpose^ but^ in-
A story about Christopher Wren, the architect responsible^ for^ rebuild- ing St. Paui's Cathedral after the Great Fire of London, explains^ what^ I^ mean. Wren was walking^ the^ length^ of the^ partially^ rebuilt^ cathedral^ when^ he asked
cnterprise. In^ current-day^ Silicon Valley,^ inspirational^ slogans^ run^ more along
l-iis call to put a "ding in^ the^ universe" inspirational, though^ others^ do. Sure, it's
member, it's^ not all^ about^ you.
bricklayer cared about something different,^ even^ though all^ three^ were work-
everybody to find meaning^ in their own^ way.
BEF0RE D ELVING INTO the differences between^ how^ to manage^ rock^ stars or superstars, it's useful to^ focus on^ what^ both need^ from^ you. Your role^ is^ to
I{ADICAL (^) CANDOR
Exce lte nt Perform (^) a nce
swims my doctor recommended, Google was (^) still the perfect (^) place (^) for a
next job. And so I stayed (^) where (^) I was, ca'ied (^) rhe twins to term, (^) and gave
i (^) am not saying (^) that other (^) pregnanr (^) women can't (^) be fuily committed cEos-many (^) have (^) proven it's possibre, (^) I'm just (^) saying (^) I courdn't. Ir wasn,r till the (^) twins turned (^) seven thar (^) I felt I had (^) the capacity to (^) get back on a sreep growth (^) trajectory and (^) starr a company. I am (^) aiso not saying that parents (men have (^) chiidren, too) (^) of toddlers (^) can't found (^) a company (^) or be on a super-sreep
want (^) to. I am also (^) nor saying (^) that having chirdren is the most common (^) rea_ son (^) for people to ger (^) on a more gradual growth (^) trajectory. your (^) people (^) might not look (^) at ali like (^) me: they might (^) rook (^) more rike Einsrein (^) in the parent ofûce or T. S. Eliot in the (^) bank.
UNDERSTAND WHAT MOTIVATES EACH^ PERSON^ ON^ YOUR TEAM
Iusr as^ there^ is^ nothing^ inherently ignoble^ about^ ambition, there^ is^ no^ shame
lìving that reality, I still didn't fully^ respect^ it.^ Instead^ of^ expanding my
way I^ had^ looked down^ on others^ earlier^ in^ my^ career.^ "That which^ does^ not grow, rots," said Catherine the Great. Rather^ than recognizing^ the^ whole
with my twins-I^ was deeply^ afraid^ I'd^ begun^ to^ rot. In other words, I still believed that pushing everybody to^ grow^ was^ best
went to Apple,^ both^ the company^ in^ general^ and Scott^ Forstall^ in particular helped clarify my^ thinking.^ But I srill^ didn't^ fully^ accept^ it in^ my heart^ of
f ìnally learned the^ lesson deep^ in^ my gut.^ He had^ a 104-degree^ fever and was
of the Dr. Seuss book.^ The^ Lorax's^ advice^ to the Onceler^ in^ the^ "biggering" song finally brought^ the^ iesson^ home:
I'm figuring^ on^ biggering! But that biggering's just triggering^ more^ biggering!
with growth misaiigned^ with^ my^ personal^ humanity,^ it^ wasn't^ even the best way to build a great team.^ When^ I^ looked back^ over^ my^ career,^ i
ued or dismissed. This moment radically^ altered^ my^ personal approach^ to the rest of my career. In an almost poetic^ twist^ of^ fate,^ it^ was^ Dick^ Costolo,^ the^ CEO who
this book and spend more^ time^ with^ my^ toddlers.^ He^ asked^ me^ to^ help
worked together on it, he^ asked^ me^ if^ I^ wanted to^ interview for^ a^ big^ operat- ing role on his ream. As^ I^ went^ through^ the^ interview^ process,^ it^ became
RADICAL (^) CANDOR
the role. (^) He asked me if (^) I'd be interested in becoming (^) his coach instead: a (^) cushy
when I was ready to shifr gears again.
coun¡ (^) on to deliver (^) great results year after year? you (^) need to recognize them to keep (^) them happy. For roo many (^) bosses, ..recognition,, means .þromotion.,,
in roles (^) they are not (^) as welr-suired for or don't want. The (^) key is to recognize their con*ibution in (^) other ways. (^) It may be (^) a bonus or (^) a raise. or, if'they like (^) public speaking, get them (^) ro presenr ar your (^) alr-hands (^) meerings (^) or other big events' (^) If they (^) like reaching, (^) get them (^) to help new people rearn (^) their roles (^) faster. orif they (^) are sh¡ (^) make sure (^) thatyou and others on the team thank (^) them privately (^) for the work (^) they do. (^) consider, carefuriy, tenure awards. if your (^) organízation (^) gives performance (^) ratings (^) andlor (^) bonuses, make (^) sure they (^) are fair to rhe (^) rock stars.
ln some companies, (^) rock (^) stars don't get the performance (^) review (^) they deserve (^) because (^) all rhe top ratings (^) are reserved (^) for people (^) who are in (^) line to get (^) promored. A 10t (^) of companies (^) ration (^) the number (^) of top ratings. Avoid-
impact (^) on compensarion, this (^) is especially (^) important. If one person (^) is doing (^) much better work than others on the team, (^) it seems
nize (^) past performance, (^) this (^) doesn,t happen.
Recognition In addition (^) to top ratings, (^) a grear (^) way ro recognize people (^) in a rock
means putting (^) rhem in charge (^) of teaching newer ream members, if (^) they show
UNDERSTAND WHAT MOTIVATES EACH^ PERSON^ ON^ YOUR^ TEAM
rr,rrnting them to^ do the.lob rather^ than to^ teach others.^ However,^ th^ js^ atti- rrrclc prevents an organization from getting^ as^ much levelage out of experts ,rs tl-rey otherwise would.
,lr.arr-ratically improved the^ quality^ and^ effectiveness^ of the^ U.S.^ Air^ Force.
rrran pilots had clocked only^ about^ half^ of^ the three hundred hours^ an^ Allieci
¡rcrforming well^ in^ a^ particular^ role,^ they^ send^ them off^ to^ teach^ others
ing it to others; giving them rhis role^ can^ not^ only improve the^ perfor-
le cognition. of course, some people hate teaching and are^ terrible at^ it:^ this^ role sirould be an honor, not a requirement. And^ there^ are^ times when being^ flre go-to expert might drive a person off the^ team^ because^ the^ person^ hates be-
¿rnd reward^ them for^ doing it.
great environment for^ people^ in^ a^ rock^ star^ phase.^ The^ company's^ orga-
operating system engineers, camera experts,^ audiophiles,^ and glass^ gurus who came rogerher^ around^ the iPhone.^ There were^ always people^ around who knew^ some^ functional^ aspect of the^ product^ more deeply^ than^ anyone else, and they were revered^ for^ it.
companies even have^ a^ so-called "up or^ out" policy^ andfre^ these^ people.^ Steve
=-..-
RADICAL CANDOR
Steep Growth (^) Trajectory
Excettent Perf orma n ce
got a job (^) there; then Facebook hired her away from (^) Google, and then Twitter
When I flrst met David, he, too, was babysitting my twins. He was spend-
modest (^) to tell me-that he didn't just (^) love music, he was the top-rated pia-
sional musician, and he said no, because (^) the financial sacrifices he'd have to
Meanwhile our sprinkier system was going haywire. I cerrainly had no
the children; I myself often could nor (^) find time to take a shower when I was watching them on the r.veekends. But David went to the hardware srore after work one night and figured (^) our ho\M to fix the whole thing the next day (^) while
UNDERSTAND WHAT [lOTIVATES EACH^ PERSON^ ON^ YOUR^ TEA¡
I (^) lc'd loved all his jobs. When he worked at a shop in Vancouver, he^ not only
lrlc. He exemplifled the^ advice^ from^ Ecclesiastes:^ "Wha¡soever thy^ hand^ fin-
ro help him keep growing. I made^ introductions^ for^ him,^ edited^ his résumé,
I ir stest. Catharine and David went on^ to^ live^ the Silicon Valley dream. They've started a company, ReelGood, that^ makes^ it^ much^ faster and^ easier^ to^ figure
have people like Catharine and David^ on^ your^ team:
The best way to keep superstars happy^ is^ to^ challenge^ them^ and^ make sure they are constantly learning. Give^ them new^ opportunities,^ even^ when it is sometimes mofe work than seems feasible^ for^ one^ person to^ do.^ Figure our what the next job^ for them will^ be.^ Build^ an^ intellectual^ partnership wi¡h them. Find them mentors flom^ outside^ your^ team^ ol^ olganization- people who have even more to offer than^ you^ do.^ But make^ sure^ you^ don't get too dependent on them; ask them to^ teach others on the^ team to^ do^ their
It's vital^ not to "squash"^ these^ people. Recognize^ that^ you'11^ probably^ be
{,!
--...-
RADICAL (^) CANDOR
if he one day returned the favor. Sure enough, a decade later (^) he hired me as an executive (^) coach and board member (^) at (^) Qualtrics, the company (^) he cofounded
of all (^) the companies I've worked (^) for, Google did the (^) best job (^) of putting safeguards (^) in place so that managers (^) couldn't curb the ambitions (^) of their di rect reports. (^) This was directly tied to the company's (^) efforts to iimit the power (^) of managers to quash rather (^) than accelerate the careers of people on
that (^) Shona Brown, SVP of Business (^) operations, designed at Google. Bosses at coogle (^) can't simply promore people on their teams at (^) their own discretion. In engineering, (^) managers can encourage or discourage a person (^) from pursu- ing another job, (^) and they can lobby (^) for the person or nor, bur people nomi- nate (^) themseh)es for promotion, (^) and a commirtee makes (^) the decision. once a "promotion (^) packet" consisting of a list of accomplishments (^) and recommen-
tion (^) should go through. The manager (^) is nor on that committee. The manager
transfer. I once took a person onto my team who (^) had convinced me that (^) he
received (^) terrible ratings. Nobody tried to stop (^) this from happening. And thar was a good thing because (^) on our team, this person (^) thrived. Allor¡,ing trans-
don't work that well together.
they had ideas they wanted to pursue, but they were prevented because (^) rhey
to cofound Instagram when he couldn't join (^) the pM^ team because (^) of his college degree.
UNDERSTAND WHAT MOTIVATES EACH^ PERSON^ ON^ YOUR^ TEAM
Not every superstar wants to^ manage
1,,' conflated.
¡,r'ople. The result^ wouid^ have^ been^ a^ frustrated Einstein,^ a^ demoralized^ and ¡,oorly managed team,^ and^ a^ great^ loss^ to humanity's understanding^ of^ the r rrr iverse.
.rrgineers and salespeopie have foundered when they^ are^ promoted^ to man-
I'crformance-potential matix.^ Often^ the^ matrix^ is^ not^ just^ analyzing"po-
is (^) that whole armies of people systematically cap the careers^ of others^ who
who are^ more^ interested^ in^ deepening^ their^ expertise^ and^ advancing^ human l<nowledge rather than being a boss. Don't get me wrong-I believe great rnanagement is important. But it's certainly not the only path^ to^ major irrpact.
rather than because they^ want to^ do^ what^ bosses^ do,^ they^ perform,^ at^ best,
When management is^ the^ only^ path^ to higher^ compensation, the^ qual-
reluctant managers become miserable.
RADICAL CANDOR
Part (^) ways WHEN S0MEB0DY I5 (^) performing poorly and, having received clear com- munication (^) about the nature of the problem, is showing no signs of improve- ment, you must fire that person. How you do it goes a long way to defining your long-term success as a boss, because it sends a clear signal to everyone
they can do for you on the job. It goes without saying that getting fired is one of the mosr soul-challenging things that can happen to a person. its effects are bad enough for the people themselves, and they ripple out to their families in the form of financial dif- ficulties, loss of medical benefits, marriage troubles, and, worsr (^) of all, the strain of seeing someone you love suffer.
on someone you may care a lot about obviously makes actually doing it very hard. I once talked to a crazy-successful New Yorker (^) who seemed far more
GraduaI Growth Trajectory
UNDERSTAND WHAT MOTIVATES EACH^ PERSON^ ON^ YOUR TEAM
f r r lly and deliberately.
How do you^ know when^ it's^ time to^ fire^ somebody? Let's say that someone on^ your^ team, "Peggy,"^ is^ terrible^ at her^ job, not
lrirve you given her Radically Candid guidance,^ do^ you^ understand the^ im- ¡rrrct of Peggy's^ performance^ on^ her^ colleagues, and have^ you sought^ advice lì om others? Have you g:en Radtcally Candid guidance?^ Have^ you demonsrated^ to
lrcen crystal clear when you have^ challenged^ her^ to^ improve? Has your
your criticism, offering to help her find^ solutions rather^ than attacking^ her rrs a person? And have you done these things^ on^ multiple^ occasions^ over^ the ('ourse of time? If the answer is yes ancl you have not seen improvement, or
lesults. How is this person's poor performance affecting the rest of the^ team?^ Peggy's shortcomings aren't only your problem. As^ a^ manager, it's^ your^ job^ to make sure you understand everyone else's perspective, as^ well,^ and^ how^ her^ poor ¡rerformance affects^ other members^ of^ the team. Generally, by the^ time^ one of your direct report's poor performance has come to^ your attention,^ it's^ been clriving their^ peers^ nuts^ for^ a^ long time.
been clear when you haven't been. Getting an outside perspective^ can^ help
have stict guidelines^ that^ must be^ followed when^ someone^ is^ being^ fired, and there are^ lots^ of^ legal^ "gotcha"s^ that^ can consume tons of^ time down^ the load if you're not^ careful.
{ !t! RADICAL CANDOR
Common Iies managers^ tettthemselves to^ avoid^ firing somebody who needs to be fired Managers almost^ always^ wait^ too long to fire^ people. Being^ too caulious
it's unnecessary. Below are^ four common "lies"^ managers^ tell^ themselves^ to
gotten (^) a tittte better, have they improved enough? If you don't
get better. 2, Somebodyis betterthan nobody.^ Another^ common^ reason^ why bosses are retuctant to fire^ a poor performer^ is^ that they don't want a "hote"^ on the team. If you^ fire "Jeffrey,"^ who^ wi[[^ do^ the^ work^ he was doing? How long wit[ it^ take you^ to find^ a^ replacement?^ The^ fact is that poor performers^ often create^ as^ much^ extra^ work^ for^ others as they accomptish themselves, because they^ leave^ parts^ oftheirjob undone or do other parts stoppi[y or^ behave^ unprofessionatty^ in^ ways that others must compensate for.^ Steve Jobs put^ it^ succinctty,^ if harshty, when he said, "It's betterto have a hote^ than^ an^ asshote."
co[[eague at your^ company, even ifthey^ don't have^ skitts your
firing them. This is obviously not so nice for^ the^ unsuspecting colteague and is generatty^ a mistake for^ the^ person^ you're^ trying to be "nice" to as wett.
UNDERSTAND WHAT MOTIVATES^ EACIl^ PERSON^ ON YOUI(^ ìI^ ^I,
else who's doing a greatjob.^ Again,^ this^ comes^ down^ to^ having buitt a good^ relationship with the^ person you're^ firing,^ and^ the
care persona[ty.
Be Radical,ty Candid with the^ person^ you're^ firing The way you fire peopie really matters,^ and^ to^ do^ this^ hard^ job well,^ it's important not to distance yourself from^ the person^ you're^ about^ to^ fire.^ If
lirr the person you're firing, you'il make^ a^ hash of^ it^ To^ be^ in^ the^ right^ frame o{-mind, remember the foilowing:
bank te[[er. I don't do math wett in^ my^ head, and^ so^ I often^ counted out the wrong change. Since customers generatty caught^ errors^ in the bank's favor but weren't always honest when^ they^ came^ out ahead, I gave away a tot ofthe bank's money.^ My boss^ did^ notfire
focus, you^ can batance every^ dayt"^ Now^ what^ had^ just^ been^ a^ math problem fett tike a character f[aw. But^ the^ harder^ I^ tried, the worse I became. Stitt my boss continued to^ cheer^ me^ on'^ I^ was miserable. I shoutd have quit^ and gotten^ a^ job^ mowing^ grass.^ If^ my boss had simpty^ fired^ me by^ saying,^ "You^ are^ ctearly not^ interested in this work. Why don't you^ find a different job this^ summer?" she'd have^ done^ me a^ big^ favor-and^ saved^ the^ bank^ a^ lot^ of^ money. Instead, I suffered and muddled through untiI^ the^ summer's end.
indefinitety? When you^ fire^ someone,^ you^ create^ the possibitity for^ the person to exceI and find happiness performing meaningfuI work elsewhere. Part of^ getting^ a^ good^ job is leaving^ a^ bad one, or one that's bad^ for you.^ As my^ grandmother^ once said^ to^ me,^ "There's^ a lid for every pot." Just^ because^ the^ person^ is not^ good at the^ job they do for^ you^ doesn't^ mean^ there'isn't anotherjob^ out there^ they could be great at.^ I^ know^ that this^ can^ sound^ very Pollyanna-ish, so before our meeting,^ I try^ to imagine specificalty what that^ job
¡l
RADICAL (^) CANDOR -
was enormous. (^) of course, Mareva (^) had known in her (^) gut what the problem
several (^) hundred people on another team that needed (^) solving. I put Mareva
not just (^) on my team but (^) at the company. Another example. "Clay" led a team in a (^) parricular country, cail it
when one opened (^) up on my team. i had significant doubts about (^) the fit
perform (^) successfully in (^) this particular role. (^) I shared my concerns (^) frankly
his new role, however, (^) he grabbed a political (^) hot potato and got burned.
ways lelt terrible (^) about. (Fortunatel¡ (^) he's gone on to become (^) an enor- mously successful (^) entrepreneur in Atlantis.)
pected ro progress. (^) If the person gives (^) you reason to believe (^) they can be
But sometimes it (^) isn't that obvious. ln rhese (^) cases. ir can help to ask yourselfthese (^) questions: are (^) expectations clear enough? Is (^) the training good (^) enough? If the problem is that youhave nor explained the role or the expecrations clearly enough, you should invest more
Another (^) mistake that bosses sometimes make is to dump too much on a person all (^) at once, setting them (^) up to fail. Sometimes managers simply have
UNDERSTAND WHAT MOTiVATES EACH PERSON ON YOUR TEAM
n riulagers (^) map their own capacity (^) onto the people who work for them. They
r (^) locsn't know certain things.
Personatprob[ems
rrcccl to get back on track. I had a family crisis while (^) I was working for Sheryl Sandberg. I (^) will a1- rvays be grateful for her response: "Ger on a plane, go home, take (^) all the time you (^) neecl, and don't worry about (^) anything at Google. Don't count this (^) as your i,rrcation time-just (^) take the time. We have you covered." Her (^) words left
when I returned.
Poor fit
cnce and expertise, (^) but just (^) can't get traction at a particular (^) company or on
rrnd the individuai's (^) personality. When a highly successful person takes a job
For example, (^) I knew a person whose "launch^ and (^) iterate" approach made him enormously (^) successful at Google. Googie's culture (^) was all abour experi-
his (^) credibility. There was norhing wrong (^) with the person or with Apple-it
Peopte (^) change, and you have to change (^) with them
Once (^) a rock star, always a rock star." "Sean is (^) my Rock of Gibraltar. I'd be
RADICAL CANDOR
and "superstar"^ is that you'li use them as permanent labels for people. Please do not! It's tempting to see certain people (^) as fit (^) only for (^) a certain role or having a certain set of skills/weaknesses that will never (^) change. The (^) truth
jectory (^) may suddenly become restless and yearn for a new (^) challenge at work. Or, a person who's been on a steep growth trajectory for years may be craving a period of stability. This is another reason (^) why you haye to manage. Being a great boss involves constantly adjusting to the new reality of the day or week
significant has (^) shifted. It's (^) not only important to remember that nobody is always on a steep or
Such adjustments are particulariy hard when it comes time to move people who have been making your life easier into new roles that will make
particular job^ done well for years. NowJean wants a new job.^ Or, "Pat"^ has been picking up new challenges for years, and now Pat is ready to quit chang-
same track record of success that Pat has. It's stressful for youl
times we are in learning mode or transition mode. Sometimes our priorities change: a spouse takes a new job^ and we neecl to be home more, or we want to devote time to a passion outside work. It is important for the team mem- ber and the boss to be clear about what is driving the degree of trajectory at
people in boxes and leave them there.
Telling people what to do doesn't work
AT FIRST B LU SH, it seems like achievingresults is more a matter of challeng- ing directly than caring personaily. But the (^) ultimate goal of Radical Candor is to achieve collaboratively what you could never achieve individually, and to
Steve Squyres, who led the Mars Exploration Rover Mission, described
the whole thing and (^) say, 'I understand everything about this vehicle.' It burst