Generation X:positive vs negative

I heard a story recently from a adviser during my last chapter visit.  She works for a non profit company and told me about her experience at a Generation X conference.  The conference was to help leaders of corporations and businesses to have successful relationships with Generation X co workers.  An interesting bit of information she learned while at the conference she shared with me...and I think it makes a lot of sense.

So if you are meeting with someone to give a "progress report" on their work performance the person views the conversation like this:

1 corrective critique:1 positive comment= negative report
1 corrective critique: 2 positive comments= negative report
1 corrective critique : 3 positive comments= positive report

Now I have absolutely NO clue if this really is correct or not, but I think it makes an interesting point.  It takes 3 positive comments to triumph over 1 negative.  This is CRAZY to me! Although on the other I completely understand it and I am definitely experiencing it during my travels.

I am learning that chapters/young women (because that is my targeted audience) need more positive encouragement than negative to realize, comprehend, and take action with a corrective critique.

"It is one thing to be heard, but another to be heard effectively"

I am so use to the Theatre world where you LOVE corrective critiques.  Heck you live for it!  The more the merrier.  Theatre folks are always searching for something to push them in a more successful path with their craft.

Throughout working with a variety of women thus far on my consultant journey I have learned something new and that is the power of being positive.

As Beth Denney Ward would say,"Plow through positively!"