Kim Baker’s new book tackles workplace feedback gaps

By AI, Created 7:51 PM UTC, June 04, 2026, /AGP/ – Kim Baker has launched a new book, WTF? What The Feedback: Taking “WTF?” Moments to “WOW!” Results, aimed at helping leaders handle one of the workplace’s most avoided conversations. The book centers on a practical framework for giving and receiving feedback to rebuild trust, improve performance, and reduce conflict.

Why it matters: - Feedback is one of the fastest ways leaders can build trust, and one of the fastest ways to damage it when handled poorly. - The book targets a workplace problem that affects performance, engagement, retention, and conflict. - Baker frames feedback as a repeatable leadership practice that can change team culture, not just an isolated conversation.

What happened: - Human performance improvement expert and certified workplace mediator Kim Baker launched WTF? What The Feedback: Taking “WTF?” Moments to “WOW!” Results in 2026. - The book was published on April 29, 2026. - The launch took place in St. Louis, Missouri. - Baker also founded WTF-What The Feedback™ and offers companion courses on giving productive feedback and receiving feedback non-defensively. - Baker runs Friday Feedback Live, a free monthly interactive session held every first Friday.

The details: - Baker says many managers avoid feedback, rush it, sugarcoat it, or skip it entirely. - The book is built around SKWILL-Power™, a proprietary framework that combines skillpower and willpower. - Skillpower covers how to give and receive feedback effectively. - Willpower covers the emotional readiness to have the conversation. - The book organizes its approach into four stages: ACTIVATE, ELEVATE, ACCELERATE, and PERPETUATE. - ACTIVATE helps readers identify fears, triggers, and patterns that block feedback. - ELEVATE focuses on the three types of feedback: appreciation, coaching, and evaluation. - ELEVATE also covers four delivery approaches and the signature COIN model. - ACCELERATE introduces the Ideal Process for before, during, and after feedback conversations, plus the DIP method for stalled exchanges. - PERPETUATE focuses on turning feedback into a shared team and organizational practice. - The COIN model stands for Context, Observation, Impact, and Next Steps. - Baker says COIN keeps feedback centered on observable behavior instead of personality or assumption.

Between the lines: - The book is responding to a workplace environment where trust deficits and post-pandemic strain have made feedback harder to give and receive. - Baker’s approach stands out because it addresses both the mechanics of feedback and the emotional resistance around it. - The emphasis on culture suggests the book is aimed at managers, but also at organizations that want consistent norms across teams. - The leader testimonials point to a broader demand for practical, desk-ready tools rather than abstract management advice.

What’s next: - Baker is using companion training programs to extend the book’s framework into live practice. - Friday Feedback Live gives individuals a recurring forum to work through real workplace scenarios. - The book’s long-term goal is to spread shared language, shared tools, and shared expectations around feedback across organizations.

The bottom line: - Baker’s pitch is simple: feedback is not just a soft skill, but a performance tool that can either strengthen trust or erode it.