"We tend to think of support at work as always helpful. Advice. Guidance. A quick assist when things get tough. But research shows some kinds of support quietly do more harm than good. Certain forms of workplace support don't restore energy or build trust-they drain it. And over time, they can erode engagement and fuel burnout. Five kinds of unhelpful workplace social support: Imposing support shows up as unsolicited guidance. Advice you didn't ask for. Direction you weren't ready to receive."
"Partial support is incomplete or vague. A half-answer. A fuzzy suggestion. Help that creates more questions than it resolves. Shortsighted support is when someone takes over the task instead of helping you build the skill. You "give a man a fish" rather than "teach a man to fish." The work gets done, but personal growth stalls. Undependable support is promised help that arrives late, arrives wrong, or doesn't arrive at all."
Not all workplace support is beneficial. Some forms—imposing, partial, shortsighted, undependable, and conflicting—can frustrate people and deepen problems. Partial support leaves tasks ambiguous and weakens feelings of competence. Undependable support damages trust and relatedness when promised help is late, wrong, or absent. Shortsighted help prevents skill development by doing tasks for others instead of teaching. Conflicting or unsolicited advice undermines agency and clarity. Frustrated needs for competence, volition, and relatedness produce negative emotions that rapidly lower engagement and increase the risk of burnout over time.
Read at Psychology Today
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