The Promotion Principle: 20 Things NOT to Say in Code Reviews

The disparity between two developers — one who gets promoted and one who gets fired — often isn’t about their coding skill, but their communication skill. Code reviews are a critical stage where feedback must be framed to improve the code without damaging the coder’s morale.

The key difference lies in shifting the tone from commanding and judging (toxic feedback) to suggesting and collaborating (constructive feedback).

1. The Core Difference: Focus, Tone, and Rationale

The central theme of effective feedback is focusing on why a change is beneficial (e.g., maintainability, performance) rather than judging the quality of the submitted work.

The image below summarizes the distinction between judgment and suggestion in five key areas:

2. Detailed Breakdown: Toxic vs. Constructive Comments

Toxic feedback often uses absolute language (“never,” “must,” “only a junior”), which shuts down…