Feedback Style: Rage Reviewer

First, thank you for even accepting that maybe you are a Rage Reviewer. It takes a lot of self-awareness to see this in yourself. High five!

Being a Rage Reviewer is exhausting. It takes so much energy to change everything your team creates and hold so much angst at work. It might feel good to finally let loose in giving feedback, but it’s a lot of emotional labor.

Rage Review can also happen when you are disappointed in a teammate or employee and want them to perform better. Every manager has the opportunity to be a Rage Reviewer with an employee who isn’t good at their job. Deal with that HR issue and get back to a Kind Collaborator style. Do it before it consumes you with anger toward the whole team.

This style of feedback was common in past generations of workers. The leaders accepted it before you, and it’s still accepted in many fields and workplaces. However, acceptance doesn’t make it right.

Expressing anger at work isn’t productive. It’s not radical candor or transparency. It’s unhealthy. No one wants to work with someone who makes them feel afraid. Fearful people shut down and don’t produce as well as people who feel trusted to do their job.

Examine why you get so worked up about giving feedback. Does it trigger something from your past? Do you need to feel ownership over a situation to ensure it gets done to your standard? Do you need to address other stressors in your life so you won’t express your feelings about them unconsciously at work? Is your team not giving you enough time to contribute to or reflect on the work? All these things can cause someone to get angry about a project.

If you are a Rage Reviewer, read the Kind Collaborator chapter to see what elements of that style you can work on first. For example, maybe you can try to find time for a thoughtful review. Block out time on your calendar to ensure you are focused and not distracted. Or perhaps it’s working on giving the feedback sandwich – nice thing, change a thing, nice thing. Try incorporating one step of Kind Review at a time until you feel less angry about reviewing.

If you see yourself in this style, it’s an opportunity for self-reflection. Determine why you get so worked up about feedback and how you can better manage that energy. This book can help create a healthy creative process that ensures everyone has the time for Kind Review.