1. Create a constant state of uncertainty. Make promises you don't keep, and never explain why. Announce stuff that never materializes.
2. Don't give people any chance to successfully complete anything they start. (Simplest way: keep moving the goalposts.)
In my experience, people can take any kind of abusive crap, but uncertainty plus the inability to do anything worthwhile will either get people to quit or put them on the shortest route to a burn-out.
And the worst part is, these two ways are often not applied by malicious douche bags, but simply incompetent management. In the start-up world these are often entrepreneurs with no idea of and a total lack of empathy with what it's like to be an employee.
1. Create a constant state of uncertainty. Make promises you don't keep, and never explain why. Announce stuff that never materializes.
2. Don't give people any chance to successfully complete anything they start. (Simplest way: keep moving the goalposts.)
In my experience, people can take any kind of abusive crap, but uncertainty plus the inability to do anything worthwhile will either get people to quit or put them on the shortest route to a burn-out.
And the worst part is, these two ways are often not applied by malicious douche bags, but simply incompetent management. In the start-up world these are often entrepreneurs with no idea of and a total lack of empathy with what it's like to be an employee.