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Dr. John Gottman identifies criticism as a strong predictor of divorce. Yet to improve, we need feedback. So where is that line where feedback becomes harmful to relationship?

Quick rule of thumb

If your words attack identity, assume motives, or leave the other person with less clarity, less dignity, and no clear next step, you’ve crossed the line.

Red flags: you’ve crossed it

• Permanent, personally defining labels: “You’re lazy / incompetent / selfish” (attacks who they are, not what happened)....

Let's be honest—most of us are terrible at building healthy social networks. We either cling to toxic relationships because "we have history," collect superficial connections like LinkedIn badges, or retreat into isolation when things get messy. Meanwhile, we wonder why we feel emotionally drained, unsupported, or like we're performing our lives rather than living them.

Here's the thing: your social network isn't just about having people to grab coffee with. It's your psychological immune...

An interview with Quinn Price, author of "Creating Safe Spaces: A Complete Guide to Child-Safe Organizations"

I: Quinn, your book opens with a sobering statement: "Every day, organizations proudly declare their commitment to child safety... but talk is cheap, and children pay the price when that talk doesn't translate into action." That's a harsh assessment of organizations serving children.

Quinn Price: This was a hard book to write. It needs to be harsh because the stakes are that high. I've...

When Systems Thinking Meets Science Fiction: An Interview with Quinn Price About "The 300 Club"

We sat down with organizational effectiveness expert and novelist Quinn Price to discuss his new thriller "The 300 Club," which combines hard science fiction with real-world systems thinking to explore what might happen if the world's brightest minds finally had the resources to tackle civilization-level challenges.

Let's start with the premise. Your protagonist Sage gets fired for being too smart....

You might have noticed that I'm cranking out books at the pace of one or more a month. So it's all AI, right? No. Let me explain my writing process to be helpful for other writers.

First, my corporate career taught me to be productive, to use time wisely. I do. And I also learned that when I have a strong outline with research in hand, I do my best work. Like Stephen King, I write two, usually three chapters a day. I've found that when I dictate, I write much faster and it's sounds more...

The most resilient teams I've observed share a few key practices that their leaders deliberately cultivate, especially when disruption becomes the norm rather than the exception.

Psychological safety gets built through transparency, not protection. Resilient leaders don't shield their teams from reality - they share what they know, acknowledge what they don't, and create space for people to voice concerns without judgment. When team members can say "I'm struggling with this change" or "I think...

Ever notice how January's gym crowds thin out by February? Or how that productivity system you were absolutely committed to lasted exactly three weeks? Change is the corporate world's favorite buzzword and personal development's eternal promise, yet most changes have the staying power of a snowman in summer.

As someone who's spent years studying organizational effectiveness, I've seen ambitious change initiatives launch with fanfare only to fizzle faster than a cheap sparkler. The problem...