Finding Candor

At the core, we are in the ideas business. We will thrive or die based on the quality of our ideas – in every department. Without honest feedback, those ideas will not be as good as we need them to be and our people will not be pushed as hard as they should be. We all lose because we were too timid to be straight with each other.

I don’t think I've always been so good at this. Sometimes I’ve withheld candor because I didn’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. I’ve withheld candor because I thought my opinion would be unpopular. Sometimes because it just didn’t seem worth it. And that sucks.

It’s a gift to engage in a conversation about how to be better in whatever you do. Too few people give their co-workers that opportunity. Be brave enough to share the truth as you see it. Be bold enough to make your case with humility. Be eager enough to invite feedback for yourself. Be ready to accept that you may also be wrong. 

It could mean speaking up when something isn’t as good as it could be, when you see potential holes in logic or when someone puts you in a bad position. But in all cases, it means being generous and frank with those around you because you care about their success.

So consider a few things –  How can you be more verbal when an idea, deck, plan, product is not good enough? How can you get better and more regular with constructive feedback? How can you be more direct and clear when you speak? How can you remain calm and accepting when faced with criticism? How can you share feedback with the humility of a person who also has room to grow?