Let’s map Radical Candor to how decisions actually unfold inside a team:
A. Defining the Decision — “What’s really on the table?”
Candor starts here. Teams need to be honest about what decision is truly being made—and what’s not. Vagueness kills alignment.
Example: Instead of “We need to improve client onboarding,” say “We need to decide whether to shorten onboarding from two weeks to five days without hurting quality.”
Radical Candor = calling out assumptions early and refining the question together.
B. Gathering Input — “What’s the real story?”
Encourage people to challenge the plan respectfully.
Ask questions like:
“What risk are we underestimating?”
“Who’s most affected by this change but not in this room?”
“If we delay this, what’s the cost?”
The point isn’t debate for debate’s sake. It’s surfacing blind spots before they cost you time.
C. Making the Call — “Who decides, and how?”
Once input is gathered, leaders must still decide. Radical Candor doesn’t mean consensus; it means clarity.
Explain the reasoning: “We heard all inputs. Here’s why we’re choosing X.”
That transparency turns potential resentment into understanding.
D. Following Through — “Did we do what we said?”
Candor continues after the decision. Create space for honest reflection: “Did we make the right call? What would we change next time?”
The courage to revisit decisions strengthens learning loops.
💡 Pro tip: In Decision Desk, each decision thread holds context, discussion, and final reasoning—all visible to the team. That transparency is Radical Candor operationalized.
