🏁 Axios Finish Line: The gift of candor

Pup duo | Thursday, December 15, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Walmart   Axios Finish Line By Mike Allen, Erica Pandey and Jim VandeHei ·Dec 15, 2022 Dec 15, 2022 On Thursdays, Axios CEO Jim VandeHei brings us lessons on life and leadership. He loves your feedback: jim@axios.com. Smart Brevity™ count: 467 words ... 2 mins.     1 big thing: The gift of candor Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios   "Most people think they're killing it — unless told otherwise," Mike Allen loves to remind me. Why it matters: People are often unaware of how they're falling short of expectations at work, or in relationships — unless they're told bluntly, clearly, unambiguously. It took me years to see this, then put it into practice myself. And it remains the hardest thing to teach most managers of people. Our instinct is to dance around the tough stuff — or hide it in unrelated compliments or puddles of words. So the person walks away thinking ... they're killing it. Here's how we teach leaders to give the gift of candor: Be specific. Leave no room for confusion. The person should know exactly what they're doing wrong or insufficiently. Don't hide it. Don't sugarcoat it. Be timely. Most of us want to avert our gaze — it's uncomfortable to give tough feedback. But the moment you spot a pattern or problem, pounce. Every day you wait is a day the person isn't improving. Be prescriptive. Everyone deserves a chance to improve. (Most people welcome it!) Offer, with precision, what they need to do differently to reverse the pattern or problem. Give a specific timeframe — weeks, not months. Be encouraging. If they can change, tell them you believe in them and their capacity to bounce back. You just delivered sour news. Sending them into a tailspin is bad for them — and you. Be decisive. It hurts those who are killing it if you keep problematic people around. Managers spend too much time on underperformers — a time and energy suck for the whole team. 🧠 Reality check: This works both ways. Most managers don't seek nearly enough feedback about themselves. As a strong, candid manager — or, in a social situation, friend — you need to give the person space to respond to your feedback. Done right, you'll learn from each other. The bottom line: Playing make-believe robs the person of the chance to step up — or find a better fit. Share this story.     A message from Walmart Walmart named one of LinkedIn's Top 20 Companies to Grow a Career     Patrick Joseph began his Walmart career as a pharmacy intern. Today, he oversees 11 pharmacies and eight vision centers — and his story is just one of many. See how Walmart's focus on mentorship and advancement helps create more stories like Patrick's.     🐶 Pups du jour Jack on the left; Katie on the right. Photo courtesy of Mary A.   "Meet these two troublemakers. They are siblings adopted from the local humane society as 3-month-old pups. We couldn't decide which one to bring home so we adopted both," writes Finish Line reader Mary A. from Grand Rapids, Michigan. "We play the game of Where Would They Go To College If They Were Human. We think Jack would have a man bun and play hacky sack as an extra curricular at Pepperdine. Katie is like Elle Woods, is probably MENSA and would be class president at Harvard."   Thanks to Amy Stern for copy editing Finish Line. Happy almost weekend! Are you a fan of this email format? Your essential communications — to staff, clients and other stakeholders — can have the same style. Axios HQ, a powerful platform, will help you do it.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: