Chicago Home and Lifestyles – Recipe for good relationships

John Gottman is a marital stability expert who has come up with the 5:1 ratio for successful relationships and backs this up with decades of research. It is a simple concept to understand, but may be more difficult to implement.

5:1 indicates that for good relationships you need to have at least 5 positive interactions for every 1 negative. The interactions can be simple, not necessarily dramatic. A hug or hand squeeze can be positive. Something as small as an eyeroll can be negative. It shows how small things can make so much difference. Dozens of roses and diamonds may not have as much impact as actually listening to your spouse when they need to vent. 

This can be used in business relationships as well as personal. Nowadays the small courtesies done with little thought years ago are sometimes forgotten in our increasingly busy world. An employer will always get more results when praising employees 5 times more than criticizing. A small slight in a business relationship will often be forgotten when simple kindnesses are normal. 

Relationships can be rather tricky but if you try to keep the 5:1 ratio in mind it can go a long way to having and keeping personal and business relationships. 

For more information check out The Gottman’s Institute at:

www.gottman.com/blog/the-magic-relationship-ratio-according-science/

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago