Dive Brief:

• More and more talent leaders are encouraging blunt, "even brutally honest" feedback between their employees and even between employees and their bosses, according to SHRM.
• The terms for this style of management range from "fierce conversation" to "front-stabbing" due to the very candid, authentic style of interaction it encourages. Stacey Engle, executive vice president of marketing for Fierce Inc., told SHRM that being too "nice" at work could lead to poor performance and even foster resentment, particularly among strong performers.
• The idea behind such candor essentially claims that feedback will only lead to growth if it is honest, or else it will perpetuate bad behavior. Communication is encouraged from both employee and manager so that actual needs are expressed and met, rather than quietly shuttered away.

Dive Insight:

Such a technique, whether it will catch on or not, reflects other trends in the performance assessment space, which is moving away from more formal, annual assessments and toward more casual, periodical ones. Increasing the amount of authentic speech between employees and managers is a goal of both these trends.

SHRM provides some tips for how "radical candor" can function in a workplace without devolving into something mean-spirited. All such conversations should be started with "the intent to help, not harm," SHRM reports. Use nonjudgmental language, give precise examples, describe the relevant emotions tied to the situation and be open to explanations, the SHRM report adds.