Field Notes

A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.

September 19, 2021

Thank People in Advance

Thanking people for being candid before they are candid is a wonderful way to create more honesty and frankness. Ben Franklin taught us that to thank people before they do something you desire is a sure-fire way to have them do that very thing. This is particularly true when it comes to getting candid feedback and opinions from others. Don’t just ask people to be candid when you need openness and honesty. Thank them in advance for their direct and honest views and you will find they deliver. Funny how that works, but work it does.

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