The most damaging thing you can do to an employee: Give them non-stop critical feedback for even the minutest of things.
This claim may sound plain wrong. After all, without critical feedback, how would people improve?
True. Honest feedback, delivered thoughtfully, is incredibly valuable. But people need the time and judgment-free space to work on that feedback.
Also, critical feedback makes the recipient defensive, no matter how minimally — it is just human. And when defensive, a person needs space to regain their composure, and then implement the feedback without someone looking over their shoulder.
Also, when managers have very rigid notions about the right way of doing things, their feedback starts looking like micromanagement.
Remember, there are two things that drive performance — competence and confidence. Non-stop critical feedback may destroy their confidence in the guise of improving their competence.
Ultimately, like everything else, for feedback also — dosage makes the poison.
– Rajan