Page 91 - Getting to the Heart of High Performance

THE THREE MAJOR CYCLES

People being the way they are, odds favor the development
of a loop with matching emotions in both halves of the
cycle. The action resembles the reaction, whether positive,

negative, or neutral. This reciprocal exchange implies a tacit
agreement between two people regarding how they’ll
relate. The matching emotions create a self-reinforcing
cycle where the behavior tends to perpetuate itself.

Consider the implications. If you take the initiative and act
positive, most of the time you’ll elicit a positive reaction.
I’ve polled many groups of people over the years, and they
consistently say that a positive action will trigger a posi-

tive response 85 to 87 percent of the time. These are
terrific odds, certainly worth your taking the risk involved
in making the opening move.

The predictability shoots even higher, though, if you begin
the cycle in a negative way. The likelihood of a negative
reaction jumps to 90 to 95 percent, almost guaranteeing
you the ability to create an unpleasant cycle at your whim.

Nine Cycles and No More 75