Description: Christian Aichinger is writing on software development (Python, C++, Boost, ELF), engineering management and science.
Development feedback—intended to help team members learn and improve—needs an environment where the recipient can absorb information. This requires psychological safety: no blame, no pressure, no personal attacks, no consequences, no reason to get defensive.
Performance evaluation—informing employees how happy the company is with their output—is a high-stakes and high-stress situation that precludes learning.
While both are important, they're distinct types of communication: