Steering Personal Conversations

What do meeting up for coffee, sitting down for a meal at a restaurant or going on a walk in the park have in common? They're all one-on-one interactions where almost all of the attention is on you. They're easy to schedule and plan, but when following up with a new acquaintance for the first time, they require a higher level of comfort with talking and rejection.

We'll start by reviewing our top one or two favorite coffee shops, casual dining places and parks. If you don't have one, you'll be invited to make a short list of places to explore in your area. Having places you enjoy in mind will make it that much less stressful to invite someone out to continue getting to know them.

We'll then spend some time exploring the seemingly innocent yet sometimes intimidating "tell me a little about yourself". We'll practice responding in a way that invites people to follow up on things you care about while acknowledging but drawing attention away from things people commonly pry into but that have little to do with how you are.

Finally we'll practice asking and answering the question in one on one practice. Remember to express interest and ask follow up questions, even if you're the one being invited to talk. Many people are secretly hoping that you'll ask them about themselves and sincerely listen to what they have to say.

This is a "dry run" event. It's one of the first times we're hosting it. Expect some things to be bumpy or unrefined until we figure out the best format for this event. Feedback and suggestions are very welcome.