Getting feedback from your superiors is one of the best ways to grow in a job. You might feel like you’re doing a good job and are doing everything right, but your boss might have a different idea of what success in your position looks like. Even if it’s hard to hear, getting harsh feedback early is better than getting it when it’s too late to fix your mistakes. 

One worker recently went viral on Reddit after sharing his story of being strung along for a promotion. He had gotten nothing but positive feedback all year, and when the time came for annual reviews, he got a scathing report. Luckily, this guy understood the situation for what it was: a manipulation tactic that only happened to make him work harder without any chance of him getting ahead. If you’ve ever been strung along for a promotion you were never going to get, this story might hit home.