Tip: Your conversation security blanket
Socializing season is upon us and if you are someone who finds small talk unbearable, you might be interested in research being done by Dr. Alison Wood Brooks, an associate professor and conversation researcher at Harvard Business School on topic preference.
Dr. Brooks told Business Insider that the research she is doing with other institutions is still ongoing, “but three studies of live, face-to-face conversations have found speakers are more confident and verbally dexterous if they brainstorm flexible topics ahead of time.”
Now, here is the interesting part. You don’t have to invest a lot of time in researching these topics, 20 to 30 seconds can do the trick, because you may not even need them.
Before your next event why not try this topic preparation idea? Ask yourself: What could I bring up that would interest others, what questions might I want to ask, or is there a topic I’d like to discuss? “Switching topics is easier if we’ve thought about potential topics before the conversation begins—before we’re lost in the demands of keeping the conversation alive,” says Dr. Brooks. That way you can revive the conversation if it starts to be uncomfortable.
Charles Duhigg, the author of, "Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection", says “your anxiety levels will go down considerably because you feel like you have something to fall back on," He goes on to say, "the more calm and relaxed we are, the easier it's going to be for us to really connect with someone and have a great conversation."
Consider this practice your version of Linus’ security blanket!
SHEPA LEARNING COMPANY WEEKLY POSITIVE NETWORKING® TIP
No. 1094, December 25, 2024
By Gayle Hallgren and Judy Thomson