After 2 years of developing at a scrappy design&dev shop, I got a new job that was a big step up at a hip SAAS company. I was in my mid-20s and I still hadn't worked through a lot of my anxiety issues, and I started getting code review from these two intimidating brothers-- one an engineering manager and one a principal dev. Their review style was very terse, and they called out _every instance_ of a syntax 'mistake' I made, and it just made me feel like absolute shit.
It wasn't just me, several of my coworkers felt the same about just getting hammered on by them.
This has kind of permanently changed my approach to code review. I always call out the things I like in a batch of code. I acknowledge that there are some code styles preferences that are arbitrary, but that I have a preference in and it's good to have a consistent codebase. If the person is working for me, or if a coworker took a nasty task that nobody wanted, I thank them for the code with the LGTM.
This sounds like a case where having an agreed-upon code style can remove a lot of conflict. Even if you personally don't prefer a particular way of doing things, if it's in the style guide, then there shouldn't be any argument.
Same things go for automatic code-formatters. If every file has to be formatted according to the canonical formatter, then you remove tons of chances for nitpicking. Your code doesn't match what the formatter outputs? You can't send your code out for review.
That way it's not personal; you're not saying "my way is best", you're saying, "this is OUR way".
It wasn't just me, several of my coworkers felt the same about just getting hammered on by them.
This has kind of permanently changed my approach to code review. I always call out the things I like in a batch of code. I acknowledge that there are some code styles preferences that are arbitrary, but that I have a preference in and it's good to have a consistent codebase. If the person is working for me, or if a coworker took a nasty task that nobody wanted, I thank them for the code with the LGTM.