Management Tip from Your Spouse

Well, really, from a psychology professor at the University of Washington who studies spouses like yours (and like you, too): According to research by John Gottman, a prolific author about relationships, "discussions invariably end on the same note they begin... if you start an argument harshly... you'll end up with at least as much tension as you began... But if you use a softened startup — meaning you complain but don't criticize or otherwise attack... — the discussion is likely to be productive."

OK, OK, it's not like you didn't know that already, whether at work or home. But it never hurts to be reminded.