Conversation is like a tennis match – are you being a good tennis partner?
Are you hitting the ball back where they can reach it? You may not want to carry a conversation, but at the very least, when your tennis partner hits the ball to you, make sure you hit the ball back within their range. How much fun is the game when you’re playing with someone who can’t […]
Besides providing content for your partner to respond to, a good response also lets them know that you understand and were paying attention. Being a bad listener can kill a conversation in a matter of seconds.
This is a simple concept so I will not belabor it. Use phrases that indicate understanding. Paraphrase what they said. Summarize what they said. Acknowledge what they said. But don’t forget to go beyond […]
Summarizing their statements serves to acknowledge that you were listening, but also checks to see if you really understood what they were saying (this is under-valued in many conversations). If your summary was not accurate, they can simple let you know. A standard example would be, “so you’re basically done with that job huh?”
The beauty of summaries is that they often engender playful conversation. Summaries are the most fun […]
People who simply view conversation as a means to an end, often have trouble adding in the human elements that make conversation fun and interesting. Conversation itself can be more than just a way to find out information (e.g. “where are we going to eat?”) – it can be a medium for expressing ideas, feelings, thoughts, and emotions (“I’m starving! I could eat a horse!”). Revel […]
