It started yesterday as a late night joke.
It works in the morning (and always).
Actually, it started about two years ago. While we were at a conference in Copenhagen, Theresa Shearer FRSE urged me to go see Kim Scott talk about her book and the practice of Radical Candor.
One of many good recommendations Theresa’s shared with me over the years.
I’m not sure I can describe radical candor properly, but that won’t stop me from talking about it (obvs).
Which, I think, leads us back to the joke yesterday.
My colleague wrote some nice words about Inclusion Europe under a TED Conferences post about Kim Scott’s talk.
And I, sure I should react and not sure how, came up with this: Great thing about radical candor is it contains radical “can do”.
So witty!
But as you can see, “radical can do” hasn’t left me after I hit Send and went back to watching football.
Radical can do might be a good summary of how I try (emphasis on try) to approach all work we do.
💡 Did you see any my posts or talks about deinstitutionalisation? It’s all I talk about: We know how, we can do deinstitutionalisation.
💡 It informs my approach to communication and policy. Everyone can do a good speech or a good report or a good post.
Communication is not assigned-at-birth virtue, as many like to portray it.
It’s an attainable skillset and it’s the loop of do, review, improve, repeat. Everyone can do that.
💡 And most importantly, radical can do is how I see inclusion. Everyone can do it.
Some are sure of it. For them we can offer energising community of like-minded people.
Some agree with it but doubt it’s something they can do. For them we have experiences and advice and enthusiasm.
And some say they are against it, and for them we have understanding and deep conviction they’ll change their minds.
All of which is a very long way of saying: When we want to change the world , we must believe and we must demonstrate that it’s something people can do.
Full rights and inclusion for all people with intellectual disabilities and their families?
It’s a mouth-full, but it’s also a very radical ask.
Approach it with: Can do!