Here is a little-known fact: if you have the expectation that a person will be negative, that will show in your face, tone, and even in the words that you choose. Your bias will be evident, and in turn the person will react negatively to everything that you communicate, verbally and otherwise. This is a concept called the Chameleon Effect. As this principle demonstrates, people tend to respond to an experience in ways that reproduce exactly what others expect of them. Some people would call this a self-fulfilling prophecy, but the Chameleon Effect is the scientific term for it.

 

Negative partners tend to fall into three categories:

I once worked with a wise man who was responsible for the upkeep of a popular community center. The locals were very fond of this place and would visit frequently, having gotten used to its comfortable setting and appearance. In fact, they were so attached to the center as--is, they resisted all possible change to it--yet the man had an idea that would make the atmosphere much more appealing to the public, and that was moving a centerpiece fixture to another location so that the staff could perform their work more effectively. However, the man knew that if he moved the table, the public would complain, and he would have to relent. So what did he do? He decided to move the fixture several feet once a month. Over the period of a year, it was moved to the intended place and the locals never even noticed. Not only can the staff now serve the public more efficiently, but the locals also happen to be as satisfied as ever.