Episode Overview

Podcast: Radical Candor: Communication at Work
Episode: The Fixable Framework: Solve Real Problems Quickly, Without Breaking Relationships
Hosts: Kim Scott, Jason Rosoff, Amy Sandler
Guests: Frances Frei, Anne Morriss (Authors, Advisors, Hosts of the Fixable podcast)
Date: December 3, 2025

This episode explores how to drive real, rapid improvement in organizations—solving meaningful problems without damaging relationships. Drawing from their book Move Fast and Fix Things and their experience advising companies (notably Uber), Frances Frei and Anne Morriss share their actionable "Fixable Framework." The conversation dives into diagnosing root problems, sequencing for speed and trust, building and restoring trust, and effectively influencing up the org chart. The dialogue is energetic, candid, and loaded with stories, scripts, and practical tips.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Move Fast & Fix Things vs. Move Fast & Break Things (00:49–04:53)

• Kim Scott opens by referencing Facebook’s old motto ("Move fast and break things") and questions whether Frances and Anne’s philosophy is a reaction against reckless speed.
• Frances Frei clarifies:

  “Move fast and break things gave speed a bad name. … We wrote this book to give speed a good name again. Give it back its proper place in the hierarchy.” (02:34)

• Momentum matters—Faster problem-solving energizes teams, but speed without thoughtful problem-scoping is counterproductive.
• Kim Scott adds: Radical candor relies on momentum, pointing out that “the biggest problem is that people say nothing ... If you say nothing, you can’t fix it.” (03:05)
• Frances: Saying something makes the collective ceiling much higher (03:46).

The Fixable Framework: Solving the Right Problem (04:53–08:23)

• Five Days/Steps Structure:
  Frances and Anne introduce their process metaphorically mapped to weekdays:

  • Monday: Diagnose the right problem.
  • Tuesday: Build trust.
  • Wednesday: Involve “unusual suspects.”
  • Thursday: Craft the story.
  • Friday: Execute with speed.

• Misdiagnosing Problems—Teams often address only symptoms. Anne:

  “Monday’s a day everyone likes to skip over ... We’re trying to slow people down in this first step ... but it just takes a day.” (06:50)

• Example: Tech CEO misattributes friction to generational conflict; real issue was lack of strategic focus, causing chaos and group isolation by age cohorts (07:31).

Trust as a Prerequisite for Speed (08:23–11:53)

• Many organizations go too slow, not too fast. Frances:

  “The slow is really the problem that we observed. And so we wanted to equip people with how to go quickly through the four steps that happen before you get to confidently go fast.” (09:18)

• Checklist Before Sprinting:

  • Solve the right problem
  • Run smart experiments before scaling
  • Get the right people involved
  • Tell a story about the change to bring others along (10:39)

• Velvet Coffin Metaphor—Too comfortable, risk of organizational stagnation.

Diagnosing the Right Problem (14:03–17:27)

• Anne & Frances’s System for Diagnosis:
  • Toyota’s “Five Whys”: Ask “why” successively to reach the root cause. Even three “whys” can suffice in leadership contexts (14:03).
  • Chris Argyris’s “Discuss the Undiscussable”: Surface what’s not being talked about; true insight emerges when collective curiosity replaces individual certainty (15:26).
• Curiosity as Leadership Muscle:
  Anne:

  “It is about channeling curiosity. It’s about asking the right questions. It’s not about having the right answers ... give themselves permission to not know and to be deeply curious about the problem.” (15:45)

Root Cause Example: HBS Gender Promotions (16:32–18:44)

• Frances recounts HBS men promoted faster than women; the root was how faculty used video feedback (men improved, women’s self-critique worsened performance).
• Solution: Switch to coaches reviewing tapes, providing brief targeted feedback—improved equality and retention.
• Key Lesson: Improvement for one group should also benefit everyone (18:44).

The Trust Triangle: Authenticity, Logic, Empathy (20:52–25:49)

• Tuesday = “Trust Day”
  Frances:

  “If you experience my authenticity, logic, and empathy, which there are so many overlaps with your work ... you will trust me.” (21:18)

• Diagnosing Trust Breaks: Every breach traces to a wobble in one of the three pillars (authenticity, logic, empathy).
• Tailoring Leadership:
  • “You need leadership styles [plural]. … maybe there’s a leadership style for Amy and Anne and another leadership style for me and you, Kim.” (23:31)
• Most leaders self-diagnose ‘empathy wobbles’:
  • “Most of the hands are self-diagnosed empathy wobblers.” (24:40)

Building & Repairing Trust: Practical Tips (25:10–28:44)

• Two trust myths:

  • It takes a long time to build
  • Once broken, it can’t be restored
    Both are false if you address the correct pillar.

• Empathy Training:

  • You can “fake it till you make it” with empathy—using empathetic behavior increases both others’ perception and your own capacity.
  • “By the time you're done asking the question that you are not interested in, you become interested...” (27:40)

• Empathy Anchors vs. Empathy Wobblers:

  • Anchors excel at making sure everyone’s aligned before moving forward.
  • “We call it the agony of the super smart ... empathy anchors spend ... time making sure the last among us gets it ... everything is better when we’re all on the same page.” (28:53)

Trust Profiles and Team Effectiveness (30:02–31:01)

• Optimal Partnerships:
  • Often CEOs are empathy wobblers; Chief People Officers are empathy anchors. Strong leadership comes from trust profile diversity at the top.

Communicating Logic (31:25–32:11)

• Logic Wobblers: Usually not a lack of logic, but failure to communicate logic clearly.

Giving & Earning Trust (32:11–32:39)

• Teach how to earn trust first; once that’s established, trust can flow both ways.

Framework Recap: The Fixable Week (32:42–33:44)

• Wednesday: Invite diverse perspectives—bring in “unusual suspects.”
• Thursday: Storytelling—perfect your change narrative, aiming for draft #20 quality.
• Friday: Move fast with confidence—after sequencing the steps, speed is safe and productive.

Speaking Truth to Power (34:09–39:03)

• Managing Up Tips:
  • Recognize “authenticity wobbles” (holding back for people-pleasing)
  • Empathy with a boss ≠ people-pleasing; it’s about showing you understand their perspective and what matters to them.
  • Sincere, specific positive feedback (the opposite of “kissing up”) lays the groundwork for tough conversations.
  • 5:1 positive-to-constructive feedback ratio (from Gottman research and organizational practice) (38:19).

Giving Feedback Upwards: Scripts & Strategies (39:14–40:17)

• Constructive Feedback Framework:

  • “There’s a small change that I believe would make a big difference—let me know if you’re interested, I’d be delighted to talk about it.” (39:15)

• If not received, continue showing positive support until the time is right.

• On Praise:

  • Be operationally specific—if you’d say it to a dog, it’s not great praise (“Good job!” isn’t enough. Be specific.) (40:05)

Scooby Snacks: Public Appreciation (40:17–42:32)

• Scooby Snacks = Verbal treats (positive reinforcement)
  • Best when specific and public.
  • Guests and hosts exchange appreciation, modeling granular, authentic praise.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Frances Frei:

  “What we see as the greatest danger, though, is really good people who care and get it. They ... choose take care. And they go too slowly and they're too methodical … The slow is really the problem that we observed.” (09:18)

• Kim Scott:

  “If you say something and you don’t say it right, you can fix it. But if you say nothing, you can’t fix it.” (03:05)

• Anne Morriss, On Diagnosing Problems:

  “It is about channeling curiosity...getting teams and leaders and organization to put down the armor of judgment and give themselves permission to not know and to be deeply curious...” (15:45)

• Frances Frei on Empathy Wobblers:

  “We call it the agony of the super smart ... which is how they’re perceived: ass for short.” (28:53)

• Frances Frei, On Restoring Trust:

  “You can build [trust] quickly, sometimes in minutes, and you can restore it to greater than its previous value.” (25:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:49 – Opening: Contrasting “Move Fast and Break Things” vs. “Fixable” Philosophy
• 04:53 – Five Steps Structure Introduced
• 06:50 – Real-world Example: Generational Conflict vs. Strategy Problem
• 14:03 – Diagnosing the Right Problem (“Five Whys” & “Discuss the Undiscussable”)
• 16:32 – HBS Gender Feedback Example
• 20:52 – Trust Triangle (Authenticity, Logic, Empathy)
• 24:40 – Most Leaders Are Empathy Wobblers
• 27:40 – Empathy Training Mechanics
• 31:01 – Team Trust Profiles
• 33:14 – Fixable Week Recap
• 34:09 – Navigating Difficult Conversations Upward
• 39:14 – Giving Tough Feedback to Your Boss
• 40:17 – Scooby Snacks: Public Praise

Key Takeaways

• Speed and trust are not enemies: You can move fast and still care deeply about people, provided you build trust and sequence improvement correctly.
• Use structured diagnosis: Don’t accept the first answer about what’s broken—dig deeper with curiosity and root-cause analysis.
• Trust is a triangle: Authenticity, logic, and empathy are all required—wobbles can be temporary and fixable, especially if you tailor your approach to your own profile and those you lead.
• Feedback up and down: Build positive relationships with specific praise, offer constructive criticism at the right time, and always start by understanding what matters to leaders above you.
• Public praise (Scooby Snacks) is powerful: Celebrate specific behaviors openly for engagement and morale.

Additional Resources

• Find Frances Frei & Anne Morriss: Best via LinkedIn (WNBA commentary for Frances on Twitter); Fridays at noon Frances holds public “office hours.”
• Book: Move Fast and Fix Things
• Podcast: Fixable

This summary captures the spirit, language, and learnings of the episode, including practical frameworks, memorable stories, actionable tips, and direct speaker quotes for listeners and new learners alike.