John Gottman and I independently discovered that successful marriages (John) and successful teams (myself) have a PNR of at leat 3 to 1 (2.9013 to be precise). I also found out that there is a ceiling to PNR; when we reach about 12 (11.6345 to be precise) we lose the the rich dynamics that are created when we stay in the so-called Losada Zone; i.e. a PNR above 2.9 and below 11.7. This is important to understand, because too much positivity can be detrimental to our functioning in a world that requires a healthy dose of negative feedback. Unfortunately, many marriages and teams in organizations have PNRs below 2.9 and end up in destructive dynamics that lead to divorce and inefficiency in organizations. Though the numbers are easy to remember, to live up to those numbers is not so easy. We are born with a negativity bias that had the useful function to protect us from the many dangers a more primitive world presented to us. Though the world we live in today has overcome many of these primitive dangers, we still need to be cautious, hence the place for a dose of negative feedback. Positive psychology focuses on the strengths and what is good in us and rightly so. But our research says, keep the PNR within the Losada Zone if you want to be safe and happy.

All the best, Doug

Thanks for the reminder to stay the course, but change the strategy when needed. Your perseverance led to an important success.

Best, David