A Complete Guide

A great way to practice the principles ofRadical Candor is by starting a virtual bookclub. We’ve put together this list of RadicalCandor book club questions to get you started
with the discussions for each chapter.
You can also visit our book page to buy copiesof Radical Candor in bulk at a reduced rate.
After your club members have read the book,
use the critical thinking questions below tohelp guide the discussion.

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Part 1:A New Management Philosophy
Introduction
1.

Describe an experience when you didn’t give direct feedback, but you
wish you did.

2.

Who are the best leaders you’ve worked for in your career?
What made them so exceptional? What can you learn?

3.

Tell a story about the worst boss you ever had. What did they do thatmade them so bad? How can you avoid those mistakes?

Chapter 1: Build Radically Candid Relationships
1.

What does the Radical Candor book say are the key

Radical Candor in 6 Minutes

responsibilities of a boss?
2.

Many people mistakenly call Radical Candor the same as brutal

Radical Candor Is Not Brutal
Honestyhonesty. What is the difference between Radical Candor andbrutal honesty?
3.

What are some ways that you show you Care Personally at work?

4.

Do you think Challenging Directly is a strength or a weakness

Leading with Kindness & Clarity

for you?

Chapter 2: Get, Give, and Encourage Guidance
1.

Describe an experience when you received feedback that you

A Story of Obnoxious Aggression

appreciated and that was delivered in a helpful and caring way.
2.

Describe an experience when you received feedback in a way

A HIP Approach to Feedback

that you didn’t learn from because you resented the way it wasdelivered to you.
3.

Have you ever been so nice that it ended up working against you?

4.

Have you ever felt there was no way to not be mean if you needed
to get your desired outcome?

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Relationships, Not Power, Drive
You ForwardChapter 3: Understand What Motivates Each
Person on Your Team1.

Have you ever underestimated an employee’s contributions

Superstar Mode vs. Rock Star Modebecause they weren’t gunning for a promotion? What happened?
Did you regret it?
2.

Have you ever clipped the wings of an employee on a steep growthtrajectory? What happened? Did you regret it?

3.

Are you more at risk of being an absentee manager or a

Are You a Micromanager,Absentee Manager, or ThoughtPartner?
The Problem with Passion

micromanager? What kinds of situations push you towards one ofthese modes?
4.

Are you currently on a gradual or steep growth trajectory? Wereyou ever on the opposite one?

Chapter 4: Drive Results Collaboratively
1.

Have you ever tried to tell a team of people what to do? What wereDebaters & Deciders

the results?
2.

Which step(s) of the Get Stuff Done (GSD) Wheel are easiest or

5 Ways to Successfully
Develop Your Team

most comfortable for you? What steps do you tend to skip? Wheredo you get stuck?
3.

What are some of the practices your team or organization has
today that fall into the different steps of the GSD wheel?

4.

Are you a quiet listener or a loud listener?

5.

Do you want to foster a culture of debate on a team? If so, how will
you do it? If not, why not?

6.

How do you help your team make decisions? Are you worried you
grab too many decisions?

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Are You a Quiet or LoudListener?

Part 2:Tools and Techniques
Chapter 5: Relationships
1.

What activities do you do to stay centered?

2.

Describe an experience when you weren’t able to bring your best
self to work. What happened?

3.

A Conversation with Kim Scott
Radical Candor with Direct
Reports

How do you build trust with your direct reports/staff?
What strategies or activities have been most effective, and how

Digging into Toxic Stew

can you tell?

Chapter 6: Guidance1.

Have you solicited feedback from your direct reports/staff? If so,Soliciting Feedback

how have you done it, and has it been successful?
2.

Do you have a go-to question for soliciting feedback?

11 Ways to Get feedback From
OthersWhat is it?
3.

What are some of the ways that you have rewarded criticism?

4.

Which of the Radical Candor book’s tips for giving guidance did you

The Go-to Question

find most helpful?
5.

What’s something you could do tomorrow with someone on yourteam to offer Radical Candor?

Chapter 7: Team1.

Do you or can you begin facilitating “Career Conversations” withA New Mindset for Firing

your direct reports, as a way of caring personally and helping themmap out their career trajectories?
2.

Do you know the balance of rock stars and superstars on yourteam? How do you think about growth for different people?

3.

How to Have Radically Candid
Career Conversations

Did any of the Radical Candor book’s suggestions for hiring andfiring resonate as applicable to your team/company?

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Navigating Emotional
Reactions at Work

Chapter 8: Results
1.

How do you approach 1:1 meetings? How’s that different than theCreating Effective 1:1 Meetings

recommendations laid out in the Radical Candor book? Will you
change your 1:1’s?
2.

How do you help nurture new ideas? Which ideas from the bookwill you adopt?

3.

Get to the CORE of Giving
Radically Candid Feedback

Do you hold staff meetings? How do they compare to the approach

Meet Like a Boss — The 411
on 1:1sin the book? Any recommendations that you’ll incorporate?
4.

Do you think the Big Debate or Big Decision meetings described inthe book would help your team?

5.

What do you think about the number of meetings suggested inthis chapter?

6.

How do you prevent meeting-creep from taking over the time yourteam should be spending executing?

Bonus Chapter: A Radically Candid
Performance Review
1.

What are the elements of the formal performance review process
at your organization?

2.

Are these working — why or why not?

3.

Are you having regular development conversations with everyone
on your team?

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Impromptu Feedback — How
Frequent Should It Be?
Why You Can’t Skimp on
Development Conversations
The Measurement Problem:Development VersusManagement

We hope these questions for your Radical Candor book club are helpful increating a meaningful discussion with your team! Of course, understanding
the ideas is just the first step, and changing your habits and day-to-day
actions is hard.
Let us know how it goes! Receive discounts on bulk orders of Radical Candor
at BookPal; 800 CEO Read; & Bulk Books.

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