Radical Candor: Communication at Work
Radical Candor: Communication at Work
Kim Scott, Jason Rosoff & Amy Sandler
From Complaining to Collaboration: Shifting 1:1 Dynamics 7 | 29
36 minutes Posted Jul 16, 2025 at 7:00 am.
s Tips For One-on-One Meetings With Your Team | Radical Candor
Meetings | Radical Candor Podcast 2 | 9
) Introduction
) Complaining vs. Valid Frustration
) The Manager’s Middle Role
) Listening as a Strategic Tool
) Soliciting Specific Feedback Effectively
)Tailoring Feedback Questions
) Celebrating Small Wins
) Shifting from Emotion to Action
) Managing Venting Time
) Venting Culture & Peer Influence
) Manipulative Insincerity & Unmet Needs
) “Don’t Bring Me Problems” – Helpful or Harmful?
) The Roleplay: Shooting Down Every Idea
) Solutions Without Overpromising
) Radical Candor Tips
) Conclusion
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Show notes
When your one-on-ones start sounding like therapy sessions with zero breakthroughs, it’s time to ask—what’s really going on here? Jason and Amy unpack a Reddit post from a manager caught in a swirl of venting, defiance, and total burnout from their team. They dive into what venting actually signals, why some people shoot down every idea (even the good ones), and how to rebuild trust when the whole vibe is off. Sometimes it’s not about “fixing” people—it’s about listening like you mean it and why “don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions” might be the most toxic advice you never meant to give. It’s a deep dive into messy middle management moments, complete with hard truths, small wins, and the uncomfortable art of getting unstuck—without just slapping on a smile and pretending everything’s fine.
Get all of the show notes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RadicalCandor.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Episode Links:
Transcript
Effective
7 Ways To Improve One-on-One Meetings | Radical Candor
Have More Effective
Resistant Direct Reports | Radical Candor Podcast 7 | 8
The Go-To Question | Radical Candor Podcast 2 | 8
Some direct reports have nothing to say during 1-on-1s | Reddit
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Chapters:
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Jason and Amy introduce a Reddit post about managing one-on-ones that turn into venting sessions.
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How to treat repeated venting as a signal, not background noise.
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The challenges of managing from the middle of the org chart.
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Why reflective listening helps clarify what really matters to your team.
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Using targeted questions to gather feedback from frustrated reports.
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Why not all feedback questions are equal: timing and specificity are key.
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How to acknowledge constraints while celebrating progress.
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Encouraging forward motion by focusing on what can be done now.
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Balancing space to vent with the need to move forward.
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How one person’s negativity can shape the entire team dynamic.
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Understanding venting as a shortcut to connection and belonging.
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Why banning complaints can backfire—and what to do instead.
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A roleplay showing how to respond when every idea gets shot down.
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How to be honest about constraints without losing trust.
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Actionable tips to guide productive, empathetic one-on-ones.
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