Difficult relationships 5 easy ways to improve them, backed by research

Difficult relationships 5 easy ways to improve them, backed by researchDifficult relationships 5 easy ways to improve them, backed by researchSohonigweinimes your closest and most important relationships are also the most difficult. Why?Columbia business school professorAdam Galinskyand Wharton professorMaurice Schweitzerhave an answerAll your relationships are both cooperativeandcompetitive.We work together with the ones we love but we also have a bit of rivalry going on at times. Its natural, but difficult.That competitivenesscan bewhy friends and loved ones can havesuch a positive and motivating influenceon us. But it can also lead to envy and schadenfreude (taking pleasure in theirmisfortune.)Sadly, neuroscience research shows the mora similar we are to someone, the mora likely we are to feel schadenfreude.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at BothNeuroscience research led by Hidehiko Takahashi of Japans National Institute of Radiological Scienc es finds evidence that the experience of schadenfreude is more pronounced the more similar the person experiencing the misfortune is to us.And as you may be aware, sibling rivalry can extendinto adulthood.One study looked at pairs of sisters, both married. One works, the other doesnt. What was the best predictor of whether the non-working one would get a job?If her husband made lessthan her sisters, she was likely to start going on interviews.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at BothThe power of social comparisons even extends to adult siblings. Consider two sisters. One sister works outside the home and the other does not. What influences their decision whether or not to enter the workforce? Surprisingly, the total amount of household income does not matter much. What really matters is whether their household income is more or less than their sisters household income. David Neumark of the University of California, Irvine, found that a wife whose husband earned less than her sisters husband is far more likely to feel compelled to work. Why? Because without her participation in the job market, her household income would be less than her sisters household incomeThis type of competition is inevitable but can hurt the relationships that matter to you most.So how can we get closer to the people we loveand make sure they feel like were on their side, and not a rival to be outdone?Heres what the research had to say 1) Make sure to screw upPeople rarely show their blunders on Facebook but they certainly deutsche post dhl pictures of beautiful vacations and updates about big promotions. And that can lead to social comparisons and envy.Doing everything to make your life seem perfect may make you look good but it can also be a prescription for resentment.What makes us trust people? Warmth and competence.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at BothResearch shows that people who inspire the most trust are those who exhibit two distinct traits warmth and competence.When all your ducks are in a row and youre living high, you look pretty competent. But the warmth part can be lacking.Whats a good way to make sure you dont inspire envy?Screw up a little.In a classic study, researchers had people evaluate three candidates. One had lousy scores, the other was nearly perfect, and the third had the same rankings as the perfect one but during the interview, he spilled coffee all over his suit.Guess who they thought most highly of? The fumbler.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at BothStrangely enough, it turns out that they thought more highly of the high-performing person who spilled coffee than of the high performer who had been less clumsy.Why? They seemed more approachable. They werent so perfect as to make peoplejealous.And this is why karaoke is a great thing to do with co-workers. Embarrassing yourself makes you a lot more human.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at BothWhy does singing off-key, revealing a secret, or making a mistake build trust? As most of us have learned the hard way, karaoke can be embarrassing. But it is precisely for this reason that it can help build trust. When you sing karaoke with your friends, sometimes the louder and worse you perform, the more you bond.(To learn how to get people to like you - from an FBI behavior expert, clickhere.)So if you want to show offyour new car on Facebook, dont forget to drive your friends to karaoke that weekend. But whats a way we can dodge envywithout looking like an idiot?2) The crazy question that shows you careAlison Brooks of Harvard had an assistant approach people at a train station on a rainy day. Half the time she asked people, Can I borrow your phone? I need to make an important call.Only 9 percent of those people agreed to help.But with the other people, the assistant said, Im sorry about the rain Can I borrow your phone? I need to make an important call.Yes, she apologized forthe rain. Something she did not cause and had zero control over. The result?47 percent of people helped her out. Thats a 400% increase.Similarresults were achieved in many different situations.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at BothRegardless of how superfluous the apology was, as long as it conveyed care and concern, it boosted perceptions of warmth and increased trust.Researchshows that just asking people, Is this a good time to talk? increased compliance with requests.Little things that show you care matter - even if theyre utterly ridiculous.(To learn the lazy way to an awesome life, clickhere.)Okay, so youre not forgetting to show concern. But whats something simple youcan do to really improve a romantic relationship? Repeat after me actually, scratch that repeat afterthem.3)Imitate the one you loveWhen negotiators use perspective-taking and think about the other sides needs, they are more likely to close deals that make everyone happy.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at BothSimply urging negotiators to think about the other sides interests prompted them to ask more critical why and what questions, which led to innovative solutions that met both parties needs.Okay, but thats business and money. Were talking about love. But heres whats interesting you know what helps you increase perspective-taking?Mimicry. Sitting like they do, folding your hands like they do, etc.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at Both mimicry facilitates perspective-taking It helps us truly understand what another person is experiencing.Plenty of researchbacks this up. So can this improve a romantic relationship? Absolutely.Ever notice that in older happy married couples the husband and wife tend to look alike? Its true. In fact, couples tend to lookmorealike over time.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at Both research has shown that couples do look more alike than two randomly chosen people Robert Zajonc of Stanford University took photographs of couples when they were first married and again after they had been married for 25 years. After showing the two sets of photos to objective third-party observers, he found that the couples were judged to look more similar 25 years after being married than when they were first married.And this is due to perspective-taking and mimicry. Smile the same way for decades and the lines in your face will look alike. And this actually leads to happier marriages.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at Both married couples with a greater capacity to mimic each others facial expressions form stronger bonds. It is why couples that become physically similar over time report more joy in their marriage.So try a little bit of mimicry - just dont make it obvious.(To learn the 4 rituals new neuroscience s ays will make you happy, clickhere.)So you saw that perspective-taking can help you understand others. But how can it help others understandyou?4) Ask them for adviceWhen you use perspective-taking it can really help. But how do you get others to see your perspective?Ask them for advice.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at BothAsking for advice is a particularly effective mechanism to get other people to take your perspective as well. As our research with Katie Liljenquist of Brigham Young Universitys Marriott School has shown, when we ask others for advice, they put themselves in our shoes and look at the world from our vantage point.But if you ask theboss or co-worker for advice, wont you seem less competent?Nope. Total opposite.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at BothIn a project led by Alison Brooks at Harvard, we found that people fear that by asking advice, they will appear less competent. But this is a p erspective-taking failure When we ask for advice, as long as the request is not completely obvious, we appear to be more competent. After all, we have just flattered someone by seeking their advice.And whats great about seeking advice is it works with almost anyone. If theyre senior to you, it shows deference. If theyre junior to you, it pays them a big compliment.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at BothBecause asking for advice signals respect, it is a strategy that works equally well up and down the hierarchy. It clearly works up the hierarchy because it shows deference and respect. But asking advice of someone below you on the hierarchical ladder - like when the boss asks a subordinate for their opinion - can have a powerful effect as well. The person below you in the hierarchy will be delighted to be acknowledged for their opinions and thrilled to have their expertise acknowledged.(To learn what Harvard research says is the secret to being happier and more successful, clickhere.)Okay, so what about when things go really wrong - as in, you did something you shouldnt toa friend, partner or co-worker? What do you do then to stop difficult relationships from getting evenworse?5) Apologize the right wayThere are a number of factors that improve an apology but one seems to stand way above the restPromise to change.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at BothIn our own research, we have found that a promise to change is one of the most important components of an apology Though the simple apology helped, it was the promise to change that had the most impact on how much trust their partner placed in them in subsequent rounds of the experiment.Why are some people so reluctant to apologize? It makes themfeel less powerful and causes themto lose status.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at Both as Tyler Okimoto of the University of Queensland has found, people who refuse to apologize feel a greater sense of power than those who apologize.But what good is that power if it destroys an important relationship? Whenever youre reluctant to apologize, a good tip is to try focusing on what results it might achieve as opposed to who is right or wrong.ViaFriend Foe When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at BothAs soon as you start to feel defensive or begin to rationalize some action that might have caused harm, take a moment of reflection. Take a step back and consider what an apology might accomplish. Even when we are justified in our actions and even when we acted with the best of intentions, there are times when an apology is the right course of action.Have I made any typos yet? If so, I apologize and promise to change.(To learn how to stop being lazy and get more done, clickhere.)Weve covered a lot. Lets round it up and find out what these tips arereallyworth to you Sum upHeres what youve learned about improving difficult rela tionshipsScrew up If youve been presenting too perfect an image,its time for karaoke.Show you care Apologize for the rain if you have to. Crazy as it sounds, it works.Imitate the one you love Take their perspective and turn into one of those cute old couples.Ask for advice It flatters them and makes you look smarter, not dumber.When you apologize, promise to change It makes a hugedifference.So whats thisadvice really worth? About$236,232a year.Thats what economists saya good social life and a happy marriage are worthin dollars.So give these tips a shot. Being rich in relationships makes you pretty darn rich.Join over 320,000 readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.Related postsHow To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done 5 Expert TipsHow To Get People To Like You 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior ExpertNew Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More SuccessfulThis column first appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.