Temple Grandin On Why Clarity is the Key to Candor 7 | 7

Radical Candor: Communication at Work

Radical Candor

Business, Management, Careers

4.7 • 729 Ratings

🗓️ 12 February 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Vague feedback is a fail—neurodivergent minds need clear, direct guidance to thrive.

Is vague feedback just bad management, or are we failing neurodivergent employees by not giving them what they actually need? Kim sits down with the legendary Dr. Temple Grandin to challenge common misconceptions about feedback and explore why clarity is key—especially for those who think and process the world differently. They break down the myth that all employees should “just know” how to adjust their behavior and highlight how direct, actionable guidance can be a game-changer. From a welding mishap that turned into a major learning moment to the unexpected impact of a blunt deodorant comment (yes, really), Temple shares firsthand experiences that prove why specific, actionable feedback is a game-changer and how neurodivergent thinkers bring immense value when given the right support. Spoiler: generic platitudes and abstract advice won’t cut it. The bottom line? Guesswork isn’t leadership. Be clear, be kind, and stop making people read between the lines.

Get all of the show notes at RadicalCandor.com/podcast.

Episode Links:

Connect:

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction
Amy and Kim introduce Dr. Temple Gradin, an autism activist, author, and expert on animal welfare and behavior.

(00:02:04) Giving Feedback to Neurodivergent Employees
Temple shares a story on how clear, direct feedback works best.

(00:08:32) The Concept of Project Loyalty
Prioritizing team needs and focusing on the bigger picture to get work done.

(00:13:51) How Visual Thinkers Process Information
Temple explains her way of thinking through mental imagery and memories.

(00:19:10) Three Types of Thinkers
The different cognitive styles and why diverse teams need all types.

(00:23:20) The Importance of Hands-On Learning
Why real-world exposure matters for education.

(00:30:57) Managing Autistic Employees
The importance of setting clear goals and specific expectations.

(00:35:13) Transforming the Livestock Industry
Gaining credibility and transforming animal welfare through writing and advocacy.

(00:38:57) Workplace Accommodations for Autistic Employees
Strategies for supporting autistic employees in the workplace.

(00:42:18) Improving Animal Welfare Standards
Temple’s five key metrics for humane treatment in the meat industry.

(00:49:34) Why Verbal and Visual Thinkers Must Collaborate
The importance of collaboration between different cognitive styles.

(00:51:10) Conclusion

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	It's Amy here, and Kim often gets asked how radical candor should work with neurodivergent employees.
0:07.0	After hearing Dr. Temple Grandin relay an experience where Temple's boss gave her feedback in just the right way,
0:14.9	we thought it would be really helpful for you, our listeners, to hear directly from Temple. We are so excited to share this
0:23.9	conversation between Temple Grandin and Kim Scott about the feedback Temple received, why it was
0:30.1	helpful, and so much more wisdom. Dr. Temple Grandin is a world-renowned inspirational autism activist, author of 28 books,
0:41.4	and an animal welfare and behavior expert. She's a prominent proponent of the humane
0:47.1	treatment of livestock for slaughter and the author of more than 60 scientific papers on animal
0:54.0	behavior. A designer of livestock
0:56.3	handling facilities and a professor of animal science at Colorado State University.
1:01.4	Facilities that Temple Grand has designed are located in the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico,
1:07.7	Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. In 2010, Time 100, an annual list of the
1:14.4	hundred most influential people in the world named Temple in the Heroes category. Dr. Grandin was also
1:21.9	the subject of the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning biographical film Temple Grandin, starring Claire Daines.
1:29.6	Dr. Granin has been an outspoken proponent of autism rights and neurodiversity movements.
1:36.4	And in 2017, she was inducted into the Women's Hall of Fame, and in 2018, made a fellow by the American Association for the
1:47.3	Advancement of Science. We are honored to host Temple Grandin in this insightful, powerful,
1:56.1	informative, and authentically, radically candid conversation. We hope you enjoy it.
2:04.5	Hello everybody. I'm Kim Scott. Welcome to the Radical Cander podcast. And Temple, welcome to you.
2:13.1	I'm so excited to have this conversation with you because I get question very often that I do not feel that I am qualified to answer, but I think you are very well qualified to answer the question.
2:28.7	So here's the question.
2:30.2	What's the best way to give radically candid feedback to my employees who are neurodivergent?
2:38.6	When I met you told me a really good story about a time when someone gave you some feedback in exactly the right way.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Radical Candor, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Radical Candor and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.