Friday Buzz: The Latest Anonymous Social Craze

Anonymous constructive criticism is a tried-and-true practice in many workplaces, including associations. Employees are often encouraged to provide unnamed feedback to higher-ups and colleagues so they can be more open and honest.

A new app is expanding that idea to the public at large. Sarahah is essentially a social network that allows users to receive anonymous messages, reports Mashable  (opens in a new tab). It’s currently the most popular app in the Apple App Store, outperforming megastars like Facebook and Twitter.

“Sarahah was built on the premise that people are more willing to be honest when their messages are anonymized, and it’s become particularly popular in Arab-speaking regions and also among English-speaking teenagers,” writes Karissa Bell. The app was created by Zain al-Abidin Tawfiq, a Saudi Arabian developer.

He initially envisioned the app as a workplace communication tool, but he realized that anyone could be open to receiving feedback.

While many of us like to say we’re open to constructive criticism, this app actually puts that to the test, leaving some users unhappy. As USA Today points out  (opens in a new tab), “several reviews on Apple’s App Store cite a lot of the bad comments as reason for giving Sarahah a weak rating.”

Radical Candor

A look at how we use radical candor in our office https://t.co/KxyVrM1qop  (opens in a new tab) @candor  (opens in a new tab) @kimballscott  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab) pic.twitter.com/xAR6x7S5Gk  (opens in a new tab)

— 360livemedia (@360LiveMedia) August 9, 2017  (opens in a new tab)

Speaking of being open and honest … 360 Live Media tested their own version of employee feedback.

The organization’s chief engagement officer, Craig Wood, instituted monthly “Speak Freely” meetings  (opens in a new tab), where employees were encouraged to voice anything on their minds in an open forum.

“If you sincerely believe your comment will benefit the group and you are coming from a place of caring, we welcome you to share it,” writes Strategy & Content Director Bill Zimmer.

Zimmer points out that the conversations usually start out light, but questions become more pointed as time goes on.

Other Links of Note

The ASAE Annual Meeting and Exposition starts Saturday! Blogger Deirdre Reid highlights a few sessions to keep an eye on  (opens in a new tab).

Being the boss isn’t just about a title. An Inc. contributor reveals one key trait of true leadership ability  (opens in a new tab).

Months ago, a Norwegian tech site started experimenting with making readers take a quiz about an article before they could comment. NiemanLab follows up with the results of that test so far  (opens in a new tab).