Member-only story
Making great conversation
“The best way to know someone is to have a conversation with them.”
- Neal Stephenson
Conversation is an artform. People who have mastered the art of conversation don’t have to resort to talking about the weather or the news of the day. Being able to have insightful and meaningful conversations with people benefits us in our personal and professional lives. There is a finesse to it. Having great conversations requires asking good questions and being a good listener. We can make great connections with others and learn a great deal when we dig a little deeper than idle chit-chat.
It should not matter who we are speaking with. We have the ability to make the conversation interesting, for the most part. A key to drumming up a good conversation is to become curious. Think of it as being a reporter for a feature piece on this person. What are they passionate about? What are some fun facts about them? Asking beyond the typical, “What do you do for a living?” can provide for much much livelier conversation, especially when people don’t feel like talking about work. Getting more creative with the questions is a big help.
Another great way to spark a great conversation is to listen. Follow-up questions can give us wonderful insight into someone else’s world, so it’s important to listen intently instead of waiting for our turn to…
