One of the greatest things you can do to boost your relationships is improve the way you communicate around good news. If someone shares good news with you, how you respond impacts both peoples well-being. 

 

The best way is called active constructive responding. So if you share good news with me and I respond actively and constructively, you get a boost and I get a boost. It's a win-win

 

For example -   if I repeat back to you what good news you have told me with some enthusiasm to show that I am happy for you. And, I then repeat how good the news is by asking you another question relevant to it, that helps us re-live the good news or experience. 

 

Here's what this sounds like in practice..

 

Pretend you just told me that you have won an award you have been working hard for. 

 

I should stop what I am doing and say something like "Wow, you won it... that is such good news. I have seen how hard you have worked towards that... you really deserve it... tell me more about what the judges said.

 

You can see there I was engaged in the conversation, which is what the word 'active' means, and I'm constructive in the conversation, meaning i am actually amplifying and building on top of your good news.

 

Good things are better shared, and by actively listening and responding with something constructive, both people will feel great and your relationship will be better for it.