You’re Not the Head of Harmony

Subscribe – Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube

CPOs Must Be the Voice of Performance Truth

Many chief people officers fall into a dangerous trap: they become corporate peacekeepers instead of performance truth-tellers. In this episode, co-hosts Jackson Lynch and Scott Morris argue that CPOs are uniquely positioned to say what everyone else knows but avoids due to corporate politics and self-preservation. Scott and Jackson explore why avoiding difficult conversations costs organizations more than having them, with statistics showing that nearly half of all employees consider leaving due to unaddressed performance issues. They demonstrate how CPOs must balance being the voice of performance truth with serving as coaches who help other executives develop these critical candor skills, ultimately protecting both business performance and leadership credibility.

Three Key Takeaways

• Silence is more expensive than difficult conversations – When CPOs avoid calling out performance gaps, they signal to top performers that mediocrity is acceptable, leading to talent bleeding as A-players audit the culture and notice leadership’s failure to address obvious problems.
• Being apolitical is as ineffective as being overly political – Smart CPOs practice “survival of the savvy” by aligning their goals with others’ agendas through strategic influence, matching business needs rather than manipulating situations for personal gain.
• Build trust before you need it – Like Covey’s emotional bank account, every conversation either deposits or withdraws trust. CPOs must practice candor on lower-stakes issues to develop the muscle memory and credibility needed for critical conversations.

Practical Advice

The CPO Candor Development System:

Phase 1: Foundation Building

• Practice giving feedback on non-fatal issues to build muscle memory
• Model how to receive feedback gracefully (thank, reflect, act)
• Start building trust deposits through smaller, helpful conversations

Phase 2: Strategic Preparation

• Identify three performance gaps you’ve been avoiding
• Document specific business impact for each gap in detailed terms
• Confirm the other person’s agenda before addressing behavior conflicts

Phase 3: Execution Framework

When confronting senior leaders:

1. Confirm their agenda – “Help me understand what you’re trying to achieve”
2. Show the disconnect – “Here’s how this behavior works against that goal”
3. Provide evidence and options – Depersonalize by anchoring to business impact
4. Frame as protection – Position feedback as protecting the business and their reputation

The Coaching Component:

• Don’t be the only voice calling out problems
• Coach other executives on how to deliver candor effectively
• Ask questions to help them see patterns you’re observing
• Prepare allies before having difficult conversations with the CEO

Key Mindset Shifts:

• You’re not proposing on the first date – build relationships over multiple conversations
• Perfect timing rarely exists – start with what matters most to the business
• Your job is voice of performance truth, not corporate harmony director

Remember: CEOs are human too – they rationalize, have loyalties, and blind spots. The closer someone is to a problem, the harder it is to see clearly, which is why your outside perspective is invaluable.

Want More?

1. Radical Candor by Kim Scott – The essential guide for caring personally while challenging directly, providing the framework for building trust through respectful truth-telling
2. Survival of the Savvy by Rick Brandon and Marty Seldman – Strategic guide for navigating corporate politics effectively without becoming manipulative, showing how to align goals with others’ agendas
3. Research: Where Managers and Employees Disagree About Remote Work – Harvard Business Review study showing how avoiding difficult conversations impacts organizational performance and employee retention (Harvard Business Review, January 2023)

Skip to Footer

Founder & CEO

Copy link