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100 Tips for Building Good Relationships

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Erin | in Nannies

While it’s impossible to avoid all conflict, most people would agree that maintaining good relationships with the people in their lives is essential. To help improve your day-to-day interactions with people, we’ve compiled a list of 100 tips that are focused on building good, solid relationships.

At Work

Improving your relationships with your employer and coworkers can help increase job satisfaction. Take a look at these 20 sites to learn tips for establishing positive relationships with the people you interact with at work.

When your opinion differs from that of your boss, discuss your perspective. Money US News recommends explaining what information you are basing your opinion on when you don’t agree with your boss.
Schedule a regular time to meet with your boss. Make time to talk to your boss about both your successes and challenges on the job to build a stronger relationship, advises Portal Lifeworks.
Learn how your boss likes to communicate. Figure out if your boss is a micromanager or is more hands off, suggests Jobs, and adapt your communication approach accordingly.
Do your job well. You can build a relationship with your boss by doing your job well, says Career Advice.
Show initiative and don’t wait to be told what to do. America’s Job Exchange suggests taking the initiative to show you are a team player.
Make your boss’ priorities and yours match. According to Forbes, it’s important to know what your boss is focusing on so you can make sure to make that your priority too.
Control your temper. Make sure that you don’t yell at your boss or throw any kind of tantrum. This behavior reflects poorly on you and your boss, comments Discover Winning Ways.
Be trustworthy and meet your deadlines. Times Jobs explains the importance of showing your boss he can count on you to deliver on projects and exceed expectations.
Do not speak ill of your boss. Human Resources says to avoid speaking poorly about your boss to develop a good relationship with him.
Never take credit for someone else’s work. According to Book Boon, taking undue credit will come back to bite you by bringing down team morale and giving you a reputation for being dishonest and untrustworthy.
Put extra time in. You may have heard it before, but it bears repeating: Be the first to arrive and the last to leave, encourages Medical Writing Coach.
Don’t make excuses. According to Work Happy Now, your boss doesn’t have time to listen to excuses as to why you didn’t get a project done.
Know your boss’ goals. If you can help your boss achieve his goals, he is more likely to help your career, explains Career Bliss.
Be mindful of other people’s time. When trying to build relationships with co-workers, it’s important that you don’t monopolize their time with questions, says Tech Republic.
Keep your eyes and ears open. Try to learn about your co-workers and find something that you have in common with them, suggests Careerealism.
Perfect the art of listening. Helping Guide says that people want to feel like they are being heard. You can develop strong relationships with your co-workers by listening to them.
Try to be the kind of person you would like to hang out with. The Daily Muse explains that often your attitude will change for the better if you think about the kind of person you want to be friends with.
Don’t gossip about co-workers. According to Ragan, people may enjoy hearing gossip, but they typically don’t like or respect the people who spread gossip.
Get out of the office and mingle with your co–workers. Ryan Stephens Marketing explains that getting to know your team outside of the office will help you develop a stronger relationship inside the office.
Make connections with your co–workers. Try to figure out how best to relate to each person that you are trying to connect with and learn about their communication style, recommends Amanet.

With Your Spouse

While the initial thrill and excitement of your marriage may have decreased after a few years together, that doesn’t make it any less important to work on having a good relationship with your spouse. Check out these 20 marriage tips to help improve your marriage.

Try to take the emotion out of the conversation. Psych Central explains that you are better able to understand your spouse when you can look at the facts of a situation without letting your feelings cloud your judgment.
Be honest with each other. According to Third Age, being completely honest with your spouse is one of the most important qualities of a good relationship.
Make your spouse and your relationship a priority. Readers Digest points out that your spouse needs to know that he comes first in your life.
Be a team. Psychology Today urges couples to realize that they each bring different strengths and weaknesses to the marriage, and that’s what makes the team stronger.
Learn from each other. Be open to learning what you can from one another in order to become a complete person, suggests Tiny Buddha.
Give your spouse your full attention. Health recommends focusing on your spouse when you have a conversation so that you don’t miss any non-verbal clues.
Make a list. Chalene Johnson suggests making a list of your spouse’s best qualities and letting him know that you think he’s amazing.
Don’t share private information with others. Catherine Morris urges spouses to keep their partner’s confidences to maintain trust in the relationship.
Talk to each other. Quick and Dirty Tips suggests making time to talk to each other about your hopes and dreams instead of just the kids and chores.
Pick your battle. Two of Us explains that engaging in several small, insignificant fights can do as much damage as one big one.
Relationships are fun. Chatelaine says that too many couples believe the notion that relationships are hard and struggle to make their relationship work because of it.
Plug into each other instead of your electronics. Men’s Health believes that spending too much time looking at your cell phone instead of your wife causes relationship problems.
Be generous with your compliments. The Confident Mom points out that complimenting your spouse can go a long way to strengthening your relationship.
Cherish the differences between the two of you. Opposites attract, so you need to recognize and love the things that make you different, says Wishing Well Counseling.
Stop Nagging. According to Voices, you need to remember that you married an adult and that you should discuss things that you need from him instead of nagging him about them.
Make time to be together. Titobay recommends making time for date nights and to hang out with each other to reconnect.
Take time for yourself. Life Gaiam explains the importance of making time for both your relationship and yourself.
Forgive and forget. Marc and Angel advises forgiving freely.
Be friends with each other. Dr. Phil recommends being a friend to your spouse.
Don’t let hurt feelings fester. Metro Parents says that it’s important to let go of bad feelings and talk things through.

With Your Kids

Never underestimate the importance of spending quality time with your children. These 20 blogs are full of ways you can foster a strong relationship with your kids.

Get down on the floor. Focus on the Family suggests getting down on your child’s level when they are young to strengthen your relationship.
Create traditions. You can create fond memories with your kids by establishing traditions, says Reasonably Speaking.
Do things together with your children. Find a hobby or sport that you and your child can do together and use this as a way to spend time with each other, suggests Ron Edmonson.
Use a nickname. Come up with a special name that makes your child feel treasured, advises Simple Marriage.
Honestly connect with your child. Living Joyfully recommends helping your child freely and when he asks to show you are there for him.
Put the time into being with your child. PBS explains that kids need both quality and quantity time with their parents for a strong relationship.
Be respectful of adult children. If you are trying to strengthen a bond with an adult child, make sure that you aren’t still acting like you are in charge, suggests Everyday Life.
Show empathy to your child when he is upset. Your child may act out when he’s physically or emotionally upset; when this happens try to respond with empathy instead of anger, says Dr. Ben Kim.
Don’t lecture your child, listen to him instead. Kids may tune out if you start lecturing, so Life Family Education advises listening to him instead.
Say I love you daily. Childcare encourages you to tell your kids that you love them every day.
Take an interest in your child. Learn what your child is into, be it hobbies, music, sports or friends, recommends Stork Net.
Let your child know that you respect him. Empowering Parents explains that kids need to know that you are proud of them.
Keep your sense of humor with your teen. One Place suggests that you laugh more and judge less when it comes to your teenager.
Comment on the efforts during play instead of results. Apa Center recommends praising your child’s efforts instead of focusing solely on the outcome.
Don’t be afraid to apologize if you have made a mistake. American Profile reminds parents that kids learn by the example you set.
Be a parent to your teens and not a buddy. Heartlight Ministries explains that your teen needs for you to be a parent to him, not a friend.
Really pay attention to what your child says. This Busy Life encourages you to restate what your child has said to clarify that you heard him and avoid any misunderstandings.
Start a family game night. Having a consistent family activity night that the kids can count on will bring the entire family closer and strengthen relationships, says WAHM.
Trust your kids. Mom it Forward suggests giving your child age appropriate privileges to let him know you trust him to make the right decisions.
Focus on the positive. Knowledge Ex points out that it’s just as important to discuss the positive things your child does as it is the negative.

With Your In-Laws

You don’t just gain a partner through marriage; you gain an entire extended family. It’s not always easy to become part of a second family, but with these 20 tips you can strengthen those familial bonds.

Be Yourself. Don’t try to be someone you are not, says Happy Wives Club, because it will eventually cause problems.
Send thank you cards. Fatherhood points out the importance of saying “thank you”.
Graciously handle unsolicited advice. In-laws can often offer unsolicited advice on how you are raising your kids or doing something else. While it’s up to you if you want to actually follow that advice or not, Canadian Living advises smiling and accepting what they have to say.
Set boundaries. All Women Talk suggests calmly expressing any topics that make you uncomfortable and explaining that you would like to avoid these discussions.
Do activities with your in-laws. Extension PSU says to find fun activities you can do together that everyone will enjoy.
Try walking a mile in their shoes. Sapna Magazine says to try to see your in-laws side of things.
Focus on the good. Everyone struggles from time to time, so focus on the nice things that your in-laws do and try to understand the other stuff, says Body and Soul.
Speak kindly about your spouse in front of his parents. No matter what is happening in your marriage, never discuss negative things with his folks, suggests eHow.
Don’t rush things and take time to get to know each other. Crosswalk suggests that you exercise patience with your in-laws.
Check in every now and then. South Asian In-laws recommends sending your in-laws a text every now and then just to say hello and see how things are going.
Invite your in-laws over just to relax. Focus on the Family Canada says you should try to make your in-laws feel wanted to strengthen the relationship.
Use your manners. Even if you don’t say please and thank you around your own house, make sure that you are polite when you are with your in-laws to show them respect, advises Kiss Me Goodnight.
Work with the relationship as it is. Maria Shriver explains that you should accept the relationship with your in-laws as it is instead of how you hoped it would be.
Ask for opinions. Life 123 suggests asking your sister-in-law for her opinions on various things so that you can treat her as her own person instead of an extension of the family.
Speak to your in-laws directly. Avoid going through your spouse for every communication with your in-laws. You can build a stronger relationship by opening the door to communication, suggests Basking Ridge.
Make light of jabs. Your mother-in-law may make it a point to highlight your shortcomings, but it’s better to make a joke of it instead of taking offense, says Daily Mail.
Incorporate some of your in-laws’ traditions. Try to respect your in-law’s traditions and do some of them with them, urges Amerikanki.
Encourage your kids to love their grandparents. One way of creating a good relationship with your in-laws is through your kids, says Star Media.
Understand the cultural differences. Intent Blog explains that sometimes you need to act differently in situations involving your in-laws to fit in and strengthen the relationship.
Make friendly overtures. Suite 101 suggests inviting your mother-in-law to dinner so the two of you can get to know each other better.

With Your Nanny

Establishing a solid relationship with your nanny is integral to a successful childcare situation. The tips found on these 20 sites can help you get on the right track from the beginning.

Remember her birthday. According to Babble, it’s important to remember and acknowledge your nanny’s birthday.
Be grateful for the things your nanny does. Parents Nanny Voice says that you when recognize the things that your nanny does during the day it will help strengthen your relationship.
Encourage an open line of communication. Baby Center explains that you should be able to discuss your concerns with your nanny and vice versa to avoid misunderstandings.
Be clear about your expectations. Establishing clear expectations will help foster a good relationship, says Go Nannies.
Schedule a time to catch up. Busy schedules may be the norm, but it’s important to have time to talk to your nanny about what’s happening at home, urges What to Expect.
Write it down. It’s essential to have a contract with your nanny that clearly outlines your expectations so she knows what her responsibilities will be, recommends Park Slope Parents.
Make sure your nanny feels valued. Family Matters explains that your nanny sees you at your best and your worst, and you need to make sure that she feels like you respect and value her contribution to the family.
Don’t expect your nanny to be the housekeeper. Lifestyle advises against piling unnecessary responsibilities on your nanny if you want her focus to be on the kids.
Let the nanny know how she’s doing. It’s important to give your nanny feedback, says Kate Spenser.
Be confident that you chose the right nanny. You go to a lot of trouble screening and hiring the perfect nanny, so trust your instincts because second guessing them can weaken your relationship with her, warns Motherpedia.
Discuss issues with your nanny and ask her opinion. Nannies will often have a different take on a situation, and by asking her opinion you can let her know you respect her knowledge, explains My Little Mr.
Don’t cross boundaries. While the relationship between nannies and families is closer than other types of jobs, Nanny Pro stresses that it’s still important to avoid asking inappropriate questions.
Be honest with your nanny. Blogging about your nanny and sharing your concerns about things that go on may end up undermining your relationship if she finds out, so it’s best to be up front with her to keep the relationship a strong one, says Mom Me.
Don’t make assumptions. Making assumptions on either side can damage the employer/nanny relationship, so be up front with any concerns or questions you have, urges Lora Brawley.
Manage problems professionally. During your meetings it’s important that you praise your nanny as well as bring up any issues to be discussed, explains Ezine Articles.
Try to work
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out any problems. Switching nannies is stressful on the kids and the family as a whole, so if there are problems that you can work out to make everyone happy then it’s worth the effort, says Opti Mum.
Make sure the kids know that the nanny is in charge when the parents are gone. According to the Parent Guru, nannies get frustrated when a parent comes home and overrules a punishment they have set out.
Share a list of house rules with the nanny. Give your nanny guidelines she can follow as well as rules for the kids, suggests She Knows.
Use a pleasant tone when speaking with the nanny. Life Family Education asserts the importance of remaining professional with your nanny so she feels safe discussing problems with you.
Make sure that your live-in nanny has her own privacy and free time. Just because the nanny lives with you doesn’t mean she’s on call 24/7, says Summer Nanny, and you shouldn’t take advantage of her proximity.