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This Week's Issue:
August 12, 2009 |
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Here are three conversation tips you can use immediately!I'll be back with you next week with an article and lots ofpractical features.
Loren Ekroth, publisher
loren@conversationmatters.com |
| This Week's Contents, August 12, 2009 |
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Words this issue: 245
Reading time: approx. 1.5 minutes
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- Listening Rarely Bores Anyone
- When Changing the Subject
- Seeking and Accessing Empathy
- Changing Internet Services?
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1. Listening Rarely Bores Others
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People don't become bored if they're
actively engaged in an activity. There are two ways to engage people in
conversation: You can talk to them, or you can listen
to them. Often listening is the better way to engage
them and hold their interest rather than continuing to
talk. To do this, ask good questions and listen up.
"One out
of three hundred and twelve Americans is a bore... and a
healthy male adult bore consumes each year one and a half
times his own weight in other people's patience."
--Novelist
John Updike
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2. When Changing the Subject
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To change the subject of a conversation, simply ask
"Do you mind if I change the subject to _____?" Almost everyone will grant this polite request, and it
will spare you from appearing abrupt or controlling by making
an un-announced change.
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3. To Access Empathy
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By asking yourself one question while talking to another person, you can often get useful information that helps you shape a more effective message. That
question is this: "If I were this
person, how would I be feeling and thinking about the matter we are discussing?" This is an act
of imagination, and through it you achieve empathy.
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