It’s one of the most stressful times of the year at work, and the wrong management strategy can only make it worse.

Performance reviews are a necessary evil when it comes to being a part of the workforce. A lot of people do not enjoy sitting in front of their superior and hearing about all the things that they could be doing better, especially if they are a strong performer in the first place. Still, self-reflection is an important part of any professional role, and a review offers the ideal opportunity for both supervisor and employee to take stock of what works and what doesn’t.

It is an unfortunate fact that, despite the potential for a performance review to be useful to both a manager and an employee, it can sometimes prove to be painful in ways that are unnecessary. Some bosses cannot help but try to find flaws in how their subordinates are working, even if it is not productive to do so.