Choose the conversation
We identify the relationship, the moment, and the request that needs your attention.
For individuals · CANDOR communication
Prepare a candid conversation with care.
CANDOR is a conversation framework for naming what happened, what matters, and what you need to ask for.
01 Your need02 The approach03 Examples04 Start the conversation
How we’ll work
A way forward.
Prepare the language
We sort facts from assumptions and rehearse language you can say plainly.
Stay with the exchange
You practice listening, responding, and returning to the purpose when the conversation gets hard.
The CANDOR framework
Six moves for a conversation that matters.
Use the sequence to prepare. In the conversation, listen for what the other person says and adjust with care.
Clarify facts
Name what happened without adding a story about why it happened.
Acknowledge feelings
Say what the moment brought up for you and make room for the other person’s experience.
Name the need
Connect the conversation to the value, boundary, or condition that matters.
Direct request
Ask for a specific next action instead of hoping the other person guesses.
Outcome and meaning
Explain the result you are trying to create and why it matters to the work or relationship.
Regulate and respond
Notice your reaction, return to the purpose, and respond to what you hear.
Examples
Related work.
01Long Beach DHHS
Values-Based Communication
Participants practiced a values-based approach to communication as a two-way conversation.
02Executive coaching clients
Prepare the conversation ahead
Coaching uses rehearsal, attention, and direct feedback for conversations that carry real stakes.
Possible outcomes
Outcomes we can work toward.
- A grounded account of what happened
- A clear request
- More room for listening
- A next step that fits the relationship
Need more context before reaching out?
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