Destructive feedback focuses on what?

• A. Personal qualities rather than job performance.
• B. Job performance metrics.
• C. Team outcomes.
• D. Future potential.

Answer: (D)

Destructive feedback tends to shift focus from what someone is doing now to what they might become in the future. By emphasizing future potential, it often judges abilities in a speculative, non-specific way, which can undermine confidence and motivation and offer little clear, actionable guidance. This forward-looking, potentially limiting framing is why future potential is the best fit for what destructive feedback focuses on. In contrast, comments about current job performance metrics are about observable results, and team outcomes relate to the broader group, while focusing on personal qualities moves into character judgments rather than performance, which is a different harmful pattern.