Being Nice Is Not a Management Strategy
The manager says everything is fine for six months. Then Human Resources appears on a calendar invitation and the employee discovers a fully documented performance problem nobody bothered to mention.
That is not kindness. It is conflict avoidance with paperwork.
Christopher Goostrey explains why performative niceness creates unclear expectations, delayed feedback, uneven standards, and brutal surprises. He also gives managers a practical five-part model for direct conversations that protect dignity without abandoning accountability.
Nice is a mood. Management is a responsibility.
Follow HR…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.