The Losada Ratio

Balancing Positive and Negative Interactions
(Also known as the Losada Line and the Positivity/Negativity Ratio)

Find the balance between positive, and negative.

© iStockphoto/shirhan

"I really liked how you interacted with the audience, and the examples you used were spot on. Plus, your introduction was really strong, which helped get everyone interested from the start."

"However, you missed out some key information about our after-sales service, and I didn't like how you rushed through the last few slides. So I think you have some things to work on for next time."

If you received this feedback, chances are that you'd be feeling downcast, despite the fact that there were more compliments than criticisms.

Most of us realize on an instinctual level that there's a point at which negative feedback can damage productivity. What's surprising is that there is actually scientific evidence – The Losada Ratio – that backs this up.

In this article we'll look at the Losada Ratio, and we'll show you how you can use the idea behind it to help your people perform better.

... for the complete article:

Mind Tools members, click here.

Join the Mind Tools Club to finish this article AND get 1,000 more resources

Join now for just $1, first month

"When I started using Mind Tools, I was not in a supervisory position. Now I am. Along with that came a 12% increase in salary."
– Pat Degan, Houston, USA

Join the Mind Tools Club

Get training, help and ideas to boost your career: the Mind Tools Club gives you much, much more than you get here on the basic Mind Tools site.

And if you join before midnight on May 9th, we'll also give you a FREE copy of our Future-Proof Your Career workbook.

Find out what you get