Making Better Connections
Whenever we run a communications workshop in the workplace someone will bring up networking and it’s an area where we all put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We expect to leave an event with an address book of interesting and useful contacts where we should be happy if we met one person and had something nice to eat.
We can dread the thought of networking as we feel it involves us having to perform and think of interesting things to say. But if we can listen to the other person instead that can create more meaningful relationships.
Yesterday I went to friends for a meal and the gentleman next to me turned to me at the start of the meal and asked ‘how’s your year been so far?’ It was a great question and we immediately got into a fascinating conversation as, of course, I then asked him the same question. It was a fun way to be brought up to date with someone’s life and see what their values are.
Another good conversation opener I heard at a party was ‘what keeps you awake at night?’ What do we worry about in the small hours of the morning, especially when it’s so hot it can be difficult to sleep? Again it’s an opening gambit that shows interest in the other as it’s about what their concerns are.
At Life Clubs we aim for you to have deep, compelling conversations. To find out more, why not get in touch?