Relationship skills

Simple, practical skills for better conversations, thoughtful follow-ups, introductions, and relationship-building.

11 articles · about 61 minutes altogether

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7 articles in a warm reading order · 46 minSee the path

The craft of conversation

Practical skills for asking better questions, listening with care, remembering what matters, and creating conversations people are glad they had.

Start anywhere. Each skill strengthens the others.

How to have great conversations

Great conversations are built through attention, curiosity, balance, and the freedom to let the moment unfold.

7 min readRead article

How to ask better questions

Better questions create room for stories, reflection, and the things people genuinely care about.

6 min readRead article

The art of listening

Listening is more than staying quiet. It is how we show another person that their experience has reached us.

7 min readRead article

How to remember someone's name

Remembering a name is not a test of intelligence. It is a small practice of attention and care.

5 min readRead article

Growing the relationship

Practical skills for staying connected, building trust, and helping relationships develop naturally.

Start with what you need today. There is no required order.

Following up without feeling awkward

How to reach out naturally, even when time has passed or you are unsure what to say.

5 min readRead article

How to turn acquaintances into friends

Why friendship often grows through repeated, ordinary moments rather than one perfect conversation.

6 min readRead article

How to introduce two people well

A thoughtful introduction gives two people context, relevance, and the freedom to choose.

5 min readRead article

Buddies

For a buddy program: how to be a great buddy, and how to get the most from having one.

Being a great buddy

You don't need to know everything, you need to know who does. The three small jobs of a buddy, and how to do them well without it becoming a second job.

5 min readRead article

Getting the most from your buddy

Your buddy is the person you can ask anything, especially the things that feel too small to ask. What a buddy is for, and ten questions people wish they'd asked.

3 min readRead article

Finding your people

Practical help for meeting people where you spend your days: across teams at work, and in your first months at university.

How to start a lunch table at work

A regular lunch with colleagues from other teams is one of the oldest ways to know your workplace. How to start one, make the first one easy, and keep it going without it becoming your second job.

6 min readRead article

Meeting people in your first term at university

It can feel as if everyone found their people in week one. They didn't. Small, repeatable habits for meeting people at university, and why it's normal for it to take a while.

6 min readRead article