Tag Archives: improving relationships

Reality Check: The Employability Skill of Getting Along

Posted on June 30, 2015 by RealityCheck

Employability skills are the skills that help you get and keep a job. You might have thought that the technical skills that enable you to do your specific job are all you need in the way of employability skills. For … Continue reading →

Posted in Workplace | Tagged choosing actions, conflict, improving relationships | Comments Off

Reality Check: Friendly Support

Posted on May 24, 2015 by RealityCheck

“You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family!” As we can, indeed, choose our friends, it makes sense that friendship would be supportive, encouraging, and helpful for both people. But that’s not always the case. Some friend … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged "should", improving relationships, offering information | Comments Off

Reality Check: The Big Sigh

Posted on April 19, 2015 by RealityCheck

Memorable sayings aren’t always elegant and this one, though a little crude, is also unforgettable: “Assume—it makes an ass of u and me.” Making an assumption doesn’t literally turn you or me into a body part. (I know because I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Perception & Reality | Tagged conflict, improving relationships, perception | Comments Off

Reality Check: The Give and Take of Communication

Posted on April 12, 2015 by RealityCheck

There are so many communication pitfalls that it’s amazing that we can communicate at all! It’s not that we can’t make ourselves heard, rather, it’s the understanding /being understood part that’s so problematic. Rebecca has a hard time communicating with … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged "should", blame, improving relationships, perception | Comments Off

Reality Check: A Sustainable Relationship

Posted on March 29, 2015 by RealityCheck

Sustainability. It’s a popular word now, and its relevance is not limited to trees and trash. Thinking about sustainability implies thinking long term. For example, consider a sustainably-harvested woodlot. What do you see? Some trees ready for harvest, some left … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged improving relationships, offering information, perception | Comments Off

Reality Check: Their Good News

Posted on March 8, 2015 by RealityCheck

How do you respond when someone tells you their good news? In his book Flourish, Martin Seligman describes four ways of responding, and suggests that only one of those ways is helpful for relationship building. Let’s look at an example. … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged criticism, happiness, improving relationships | Comments Off

Reality Check: Boundaries and Disputes

Posted on November 16, 2014 by RealityCheck

Boundaries can create cause for dispute. Sometimes, however, setting a boundary can be an effective way to diffuse a dispute. Emma has endured criticism from her mother all her life. In her youthful rush to get married and away from … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged confidence, improving relationships, internal & external control | Comments Off

Reality Check: Lots on your Plate?

Posted on November 2, 2014 by RealityCheck

Busy, busy, busy. Ask most anyone how they are doing and you’ll often hear, “I’m so busy!” What are some potential consequences of that busy-ness? Harriet cares for a very sick child, looks after an elderly aunt, and has a … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged guilt, improving relationships, perception | Comments Off

Reality Check: More Encouragement

Posted on October 5, 2014 by RealityCheck

Last post, I suggested that honesty is an important characteristic of effective encouragement. When offering encouragement, ask yourself, “Do I believe the encouraging words I am about to say, or are they just “feel-good” words and wishful thinking?” If your … Continue reading →

Posted in Helping Others | Tagged discouragement, improving relationships, offering information | Comments Off

Reality Check: An Encouraging Word