The Power of the Other: The startling effect other people have on you, from the boardroom to the bedroom and beyond-and what to do about it

by Henry Cloud

Research has shown that the brain responds best to a ratio of five positive feedback messages for every negative message. In business research, the best ratio is actually six to one. The highest performers get an almost six-to-one ratio of positive to negative feedback, but the lowest performers’ mix is almost the opposite, a ratio of one to three. The people who perform best are hearing six positives for every negative, while the worst performers are getting three times more negatives than positives. For sure the negative is needed—we need to know how to get better—but in the right ratio and tone for the brain to use it.