If you think about your relationship as an emotional bank account, a term adopted by Stephan Covey and Dr. John Gottman, the goal is to maintain a healthy positive balance.

Make Sure Your ‘Emotional Bank Account’ Is in the Green Learn from relationship experts about the emotional bank account, a framework to keep you on track to invest in your relationship.

March 12 is “National Girl Scout Day”, recognizing the date on which the Girl Scouts was founded in 1912—109 years ago!

A withdrawal from the emotional bank account could look like Peter having his head in his phone, not noticing Jenny’s attempt to connect. Or, Peter could reject the bid, “ What?!

Say “I’m sorry” when you need to, and mean it. As a leader, your mistakes — a.k.a., withdrawals from the emotional bank account — can make people unhappy or complicate their jobs.

Each time you are able to accomplish a turnaround like that, you are making a deposit into someone's emotional bank account. It happens with the small actions and the big ones.

The daily deposits, big or small, gave them a “rainy day” cushion in their joint emotional bank account. The positive balance could absorb the occasional debit without pushing them into the red.

About the Book: Straight A Leadership: Alignment, Action, Accountability (Fire Starter Publishing, 2009, ISBN: 0-9840794-1-6, $18.00) is available at bookstores nationwide, major online ...

Most people enter healthcare with a full emotional bank account. They start out engaged and inspired, with a deep desire to be helpful and useful, and can’t wait to get started.