In this video Brendon Burchard outlines a simple framework for assessing and strengthening relationships, which he calls the three E's: empathy, enthusiasm, and encouragement. He illustrates each element with anecdotes from his mediation work and personal experience, explaining how empathy is demonstrated through active listening and validation even when partners disagree; enthusiasm is described as the energetic, forward‑looking drive that fuels problem‑solving and shared excitement about the future; and encouragement is the habit of praising and cheering each other, a behavior supported by research from John Gottman showing that happy couples praise far more than they criticize. Burchard shows how to spot these qualities in early client interactions, offers concrete questions couples can ask each other to cultivate the three E's, and emphasizes the importance of a co‑creation mindset—shifting from a “me” story to a “we” story—to build a resilient, dynamic partnership.
Chapters
I remember the first, like I was doing a divorce referred mediation. I was in like grad school and I knew this couple was gonna survive. It was like five minutes into this thing because they were just like, we are so excited to solve this thing together. And I was like, you're gonna be great. I immediately knew and it was so easy. It was so. I'm sorry it was not easy. It was so well resolved because there was enthusiasm even. Even if we don't agree, enthusiasm for the solution. I call it the three E's. Okay? The three E's of a relationship. This is when I know a relationship is great and can improve in a conflict situation. So if I'm mediating or counseling or coaching, here's what I do. I watch for in those initial interactions when they're coming in and they're describing the problem. As an example to me, I watch for the three E's. First one, empathy. Empathy. Does it look like the person, the other is listening and is caring what the other person is saying and can understand it even if they don't agree with it? Can they understand it even if they don't agree with it? That's a big one for me. Can they understand it even if they don't agree with it? Ah, that to me is empathy. They care that the other person is hurt or confused or upset about something. Like there's just empathy. Often it's non verbal. I can see that the non verbal stuff is the easiest. But often what people don't understand is a lot of times empathy looks like listening. Even if you don't agree, it can listen. Like, this can be empathy. Literally, this can be empathy. Like you're like, you think they're crazy, but you're giving them the allowance to speak. It's empathizing enough. Like, we all believe that empathy is warm hugs and sunshine. But a lot of the time empathy is allowing, turn taking, asking a question, waiting, nodding, not arguing. Or it's saying, I heard you say this, I see it this way. Those simple notes of validation, time, openness make all the difference. Second thing I look for, of the three E's, the first E is empathy. Second E is enthusiasm. I think enthusiasm is the master of all emotion, right? Even more than love. You're like, you're crazy. I'm like, no, no. I know lots of people who have love, but there's no enthusiasm in the relationship anymore. There's no intimacy, no pop, no vibrancy, no variety. It's just, it's like they care for each other, but there's there's no energy behind it. I think the energy behind things is enthusiasm when we're excited about building our life together, or listen when we're excited about solving this problem together. I remember the first, like, I was doing a divorce referred mediation. I was in like grad school and I knew this couple was gonna survive. It was like five minutes into this thing because they were just like, we are so excited to solve this thing together. And I was like, you're gonna be great. I immediately knew and it was so easy. It was so. I'm sorry, it was not easy. It was so well resolved because there was enthusiasm even if we don't agree. Enthusiasm for the solution, enthusiasm to move out of this crappy time. I love when people do coaching or counseling. And I've talked to therapists who go, oh my gosh, they were so happy to finally share their hatred for each other. They were so enthusiastic to get it out and to talk about it and to start working on it. The enthusiasm to work on it, the enthusiasm to improve it, the enthusiasm to build that future together, the enthusiasm to resolve it. That. That is such an indicator of things. So how do you feel? Are you enthusiastic improve that relationship, to grow it? Are you enthusiastic to go deeper? Enthusiastic to do the things for your other who just loves it, you know? Are you enthusiastic about them and their life? So important. Empathy, enthusiasm. And the third one, encouragement. The strongest relationships are built on encouragement, right? We know this from the social sciences. I know many of you guys heard me recommend for the last decade the work by John Gottman and his wife in research and relationships. I love that work. And one of the critical things that came out of that was such a simple distinction that happy couples tend to praise each other five times more than they complain or negate. And whether that ratio is true in all relationships across all cultures is not. Is probably not super validated. But what I do believe is the simple way to break that down is encourage your partner a lot. A lot. Encourage them, cheer them, you know, they got a big day. Do something. Look, I got this on this laptop over here from Denise. I don't. Can I see that? You guys probably can't see us too. No, I'm not gonna show up. It's just. It's a post it note that she gave me like six months ago. I still have it on my computer. It says, I love you, I appreciate you. I know you are doing big things. I love you, I appreciate you. I know you are doing things. It was just a post it note. She Put on my computer in a really particularly difficult week that I was having. And we're both pretty good about leaving little notes around for each other, especially when we're traveling or we'll be apart or something like that. But also throughout the day. Like she puts something over there that she likes or she does. I'm like, I love that. Good job. That's amazing. And we don't say that flippantly. Like we were like, that's great, that's amazing. Like we cheer each other on a lot and I think that's huge. The ability to encourage one another is so vital. So vital. Okay, so the three things, empathy, encouragement, empathy, enthusiasm and encouragement. I look for those, I watch for them. But listen, don't just look for them, cultivate them. Cultivate them. And if you don't know how to do it, ask your partner. Be like, hey, how can I demonstrate empathy for you more? Hey, how can I bring some enthusiasm in this relationship? Hey, do you feel like I encourage you enough? What could I do better? Because ultimately all these things we're talking about, remember, you have to do together. It's about the relationship first. It's, you're going to build this life together. The most important phrase to me, if I was, I'm advising him, was like, you're co creating your future together. Co creation. People support what they create. You create it together and you support it together. And that's everything. So it's never like, I'm mad at you for this reason. It's like, ugh, we were in that situation. Didn't seem to go good. What can we do better? It's the we story, not just the me story. It's the understanding that we must communicate together, plan together and work together to build the ideal future together, to build the energy, co create the energy together. These things matter. But they're open dialogues and you don't have to be right and they don't have to be right. You get a turn, they get a turn. You understand? If they're not going to agree with you, you understand? It's fluid, it's dynamic. And that's what makes a relationship great. Versus it has to be this way or it has to be that way or we butt heads.
