New Book Gives Leaders a Practical Roadmap for the Workplace’s Most Avoided Conversation
ST LOUIS, MO, UNITED STATES, June 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Feedback is the single most functional tool leaders have to build trust, and the fastest way to break it when done poorly. Yet most managers avoid it, rush it, sugarcoat it, or skip it entirely. WTF? What The Feedback: Taking "WTF?" Moments to "WOW!" Results (2026), by human performance improvement expert and certified workplace mediator Kim Baker, has launched with a mission to change that, one conversation at a time.
The book arrives at a critical moment for workplace culture. Organizations are navigating persistent trust deficits, increased conflict, and the emotional residue of a post-pandemic work environment where feedback gaps have quietly eroded performance, engagement, and retention. Baker’s answer is not another "feedback script." It is a mindset, a process, and ultimately a culture.
"Feedback is not a routine task. It is not a box to check or a two-hour seminar you attend once," Baker writes. "Feedback is a growth accelerator. It is a performance engine. When done well, it strengthens trust, unlocks potential, drives clarity, and gives people the confidence to move faster and perform better."
What Makes This Book Different
Drawing on decades of experience spanning sales, global medical device training, talent development, conflict management, and workplace mediation, Baker has trained thousands of professionals across industries. The pattern she observed everywhere was the same: feedback was the pressure point. It was avoided, weaponized, or missing entirely, and it always affected trust.
WTF? What The Feedback addresses both sides of the equation that most feedback training ignores: skillpower (knowing how to give and receive feedback effectively) and willpower (the emotional readiness to actually do it). Baker’s proprietary SKWILL-Power™ framework unites the two, giving readers a complete picture of why feedback fails and exactly how to fix it.
The book guides readers through four stages:
• ACTIVATE: Uncover the fears, triggers, and patterns holding you back from giving and receiving feedback
• ELEVATE: Build skillpower through the three types of feedback (appreciation, coaching, and evaluation), the four delivery approaches, and the book’s
signature COIN model
• ACCELERATE: Apply the Ideal Process before, during, and after the conversation, and learn the DIP method for breaking through stalled exchanges
• PERPETUATE: Make feedback a cultural practice by spreading shared language, shared tools, and shared expectations across teams and organizations
The COIN Model: A Framework Built for Real Conversations
At the heart of the book is the COIN model, which structures feedback around four elements: Context, Observation, Impact, and Next Steps. By grounding feedback in observable behavior rather than personality or assumption, COIN reduces defensiveness, increases clarity, and opens the door to genuine dialogue.
Praise from Leaders Across Industries
“This is an excellent tool for all managers and supervisors to read prior to giving feedback to employees. There are many individuals that have never had to have these conversations with employees and this book is a great resource. It is an easy read that a person can refer to often for help. I wish we would have had this type of resource years ago.”
— Sharon A. Facchin, retired V.P. of Human Resources, MECS
“I read WTF? What The Feedback with surprise at how much I needed improvement in both giving and receiving feedback. The book caused me to become more introspective regarding my methods of giving and receiving feedback and has already helped me improve. I strongly recommend this book to all levels of corporate America.”
— Jeffrey Hunt Mantel, Ph.D., Executive Director, Technology, Wells Fargo, Charlotte, NC
“WTF? What The Feedback is one of the most comprehensive, human, and genuinely actionable guides to feedback I've ever read. The COIN model alone is worth the price of the book, but the real magic is in the author’s ability to connect skillpower and willpower, helping readers move from awareness to action. This book doesn’t teach a feedback script. It teaches a mindset, a process, and ultimately a culture.”
— Judy K. Scheffel, Ed.D., Senior Vice President, CPO, Governance, Operations, Analytics & Transformation (GOAT), Bank of America
“Feedback is one of the biggest trust builders. It can also be a trust breaker if not done well. This book is a handy guide to help with the will and skill of giving great feedback. All leaders and managers (and frankly everyone that wants relationships with other people) should read and apply the concepts, processes, and tools in this book.”
— Jeanet Wade, Expert EOS Implementer and author of The Human Team: So, You Created a Team But People Showed Up!
“As someone who works closely with business owners, executives, and sales leaders, I see firsthand how poorly-delivered feedback can stall growth and damage trust. WTF? What The Feedback addresses that reality head-on. Kim doesn’t just explain why feedback matters. She gives leaders a practical roadmap for how to do it well, even when conversations are uncomfortable. The frameworks are clear, actionable, and grounded in real-world leadership dynamics. This is the kind of book that lives on a desk, not a shelf, because leaders will reach for it before important conversations.”
— Matt Boisclair, Founder & President, Clear Woods Sales Pathways, LLC
About the Author
Kim Baker is a human performance improvement expert, certified workplace mediator, and founder of WTF-What The Feedback™. Her background spans leadership, global medical device training, talent development, communication workshops, conflict management, and organizational performance. She has trained thousands of employees and leaders across industries and coached individuals, assessed teams, and helped organizations untangle the places where performance gets stuck.
Baker offers two companion courses: WTF-What The Feedback™: Giving Productive Feedback and Receiving Feedback Non-Defensively, as well as Friday Feedback Live, a free monthly interactive session held every first Friday where individuals can engage with real workplace feedback challenges in real time.
Book Details
Title: WTF? What The Feedback: Taking “WTF?” Moments to “WOW!” Results
Author: Kim Baker
Publication Date: April 29, 2026
Publisher: First Edition, 2026
Website: wtf-whatthefeedback.com
Kim S. Baker
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