Some of our executive team members are highly sensitive to criticism. How should we prepare them for your direct, unsentimental coaching style before our first session?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Prepare your team by explaining that my directness is not personal; it is a tool to save your business time and money. In a session day, we do not have room for polite consensus, political posturing, or skating around the truth. We are there to solve hard problems, and that requires radical candor.

If someone is highly sensitive to criticism, they must understand that we are evaluating the seats on the Accountability Chart and the health of the business, not their worth as a human being. We separate the person from the function. When we challenge a performance metric or point out a missed Rock, we are solving for the company's growth.

Before we begin, encourage your team to read the book Traction and watch the overview videos. Help them understand that entering the room requires them to leave their egos at the door and embrace vulnerability. If they can view my coaching as a way to clear the path for their success rather than an attack, they will find that directness is actually the most respectful way to work.