Dearest Friends,
I was attending a marriage reception a few evenings ago.
As usual I reached on time.
As usual the venue looked empty.
As usual the bride and the groom had not arrived yet.
As usual I guiltlessly moved towards the food counters.
As usual I found enough people there.
To my amusement, I saw a boring person holding fort with his unassuming tales of exaggerated opinions.
People around him were too polite to interrupt him and yet were clearly looking for ways to silence him. It made me smile.
Have you ever been in such a predicament?
In a social meeting, have you ever been trapped with a speaker too boring for you to listen to them? Have you felt helpless on being socially too polite to stop them? Have you wondered what can be done to handle such situations properly.
There is one solution that has always worked for me. Instead of allowing them to talk on subjects that appeals to them. I ask them questions. This guides the conversation towards interesting directions and makes the evening worth it.
Questions like….
What is the current challenge in your life right now?
Have you planned your holidays yet?
Which is the last movie that you saw?
Have you seen ’Shark Tank’?
How do you balance work, health and family?
What I have found is, it is not important for me to talk to make the evening wonderful. Asking questions are incredibly powerful tool in making
conversations wonderful.
I was not surprised when I recently read a report that stated – “What is the most potent way to influence someone? It is not by speaking. It is by ‘Asking for opinions and advice!’
I rest my case.
Is there anything that has worked for you in boring conversations? Would love to know about it…
With love, prayers and exceptional wishes,
naren
Imagine, when we wake up, we are given only what we had thanked for.
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