The Good News About Sharing Good News!

Sometimes a simple communication strategy can have a profound effect (Tweet it!). A great example: the art of responding to someone else’s good news.

Shelly Gable, a social psychologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara who has extensively studied marriages and other close relationships, advises that the next time someone you care about shares good news, you should give what she calls an “active constructive response.”

For example, instead of saying something passive like, “Oh, that’s nice” she recommends expressing genuine excitement. You might prolong the discussion with praise, by expressing personal pride in the accomplishment, by encouraging the bearer of good news to tell others, or by suggesting a celebration of some kind to mark the occasion.

From this simple interaction, love and commitment grow, and according to Gables’ research, even a couple’s sex life improves (http://nyti.ms/2oJOYDT).
 
What’s the last good news someone shared, and how did you react? Were you passive or active, and how did it affect your interaction? To join the conversation, click "comments" below on our Communication Capsule Blog.

If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion.

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