Feedback Trap

The "e;Feedback Sandwich"e; (compliment, critique, compliment) is a staple of management training. It is also, according to HR consultant Karen Low, a disaster for the human brain. In "e;The Feedback Trap,"e; Low combines neuroscience with business data to show that unsolicited critical feedback triggers the same neural response as a physical threat, causing the recipient to shut down and learn nothing. Low critiques the corporate obsession with "e;radical candor"e; when it lacks psychological safety. She argues that most feedback is actually the giver projecting their own preferences, not an objective truth ("e;The Idiosyncratic Rater Effect"e;). Instead of the annual performance review, Low proposes a model of "e;Attention and Partnership."e; She teaches leaders how to help employees find their own solutions through coaching questions rather than prescriptive advice. This book is a guide to moving from a culture of judgment to a culture of development.