Login
Better EQ = Better Performance
Contact Us

Interpersonal Friction:

Rush to Curiosity, Not Advice

WHEN TO USE

Use when you’ve already decided what someone’s behavior means.

WHAT TO DO

Before the conversation, write the story you’re assuming about this person. Then ask three questions: What is this person protecting? What are they fearing? What are they trying to achieve? If you can’t answer with confidence, you’re assuming an incomplete story. Enter the conversation to discover something you don’t yet know, and then stop talking long enough to hear it.

DOWNLOAD PDF
← search all with experiment finder tool

Explore All Friction Experiments

First, what type of friction are you facing?

Internal
Interpersonal
Systemic
or view all
Hacks
Habits
Hard Things

Name the Weather

  • Habits
Shows why broad labels like “stressed” and “fine” can limit self-awareness, and what changes when you name what you’re actually feeling.
GO TO EXPERIMENT

See the Real Work

  • Hard Things
Helps you notice the strengths people use beyond their formal responsibilities, especially the quiet ones that are easy to overlook.
GO TO EXPERIMENT

Empathy That Doesn’t Burn You Out

  • Habits
Reframes empathy as understanding someone’s experience without absorbing it, so you can stay present without taking on their emotional weight.
GO TO EXPERIMENT

Build the Pool

  • Hard Things
Creates a clearer boundary between work and life so unfinished tasks and unresolved conversations are easier to leave at work.
GO TO EXPERIMENT

Vocab Rehab

  • Habits
Reveals how extreme language can amplify stress and how more accurate self-talk can change your response.
GO TO EXPERIMENT

Rush to Curiosity, Not Advice

  • Hacks
Tests how curious you really are about the people you work with, especially when familiarity and efficiency make it easy to assume you already know.
GO TO EXPERIMENT

Train Your Nervous System

  • Hacks
Shows how a few intentional breaths can help your body reset, creating enough space to think more clearly in high-pressure moments.
GO TO EXPERIMENT

One Rep Counts

  • Hacks
Turns an intimidating first step into something small enough to start, proving that progress doesn’t have to be impressive to count.
GO TO EXPERIMENT

Protect What AI Can’t Replace

  • Hard Things
Examines which human capabilities may weaken as AI makes work faster and more automated.
GO TO EXPERIMENT

The Slow Yes Rule

  • Hard Things
Challenges the pressure to make fast hiring decisions and creates space to assess evidence before extending an offer.
GO TO EXPERIMENT
Load More

Try our interactive tool
to find experiments. Search by emotion or by challenge.