Recently I ran across this Ted Talk entitled 10 Ways to
Have a Better Conversation and I think it’s spot on. In a brief 10 minutes,
Celeste Headlee (a person that makes her living by talking to people as a
professional interviewer) shares great insight on how to have better
conversations. I just love her perspective and she promises if you master even
one of these 10 things you will enjoy better conversations.

CELESTE HEADLEE’S “10 WAYS TO HAVE A BETTER
CONVERSATION”

1. Don’t Multitask: Be fully present in the conversation,
not half in, half out.

2. Don’t Pontificate: Enter every conversation assuming you
have something to learn.

3. Use Open-Ended Questions: Start questions with who,
what, when, where, why, or how to get more elaborate

answers.

4. Go with the Flow: Let thoughts come and go without
losing focus on the conversation.

5. If You Don’t Know, Say So: Don’t pretend to know
something you don’t; it’s okay to admit ignorance.

6. Don’t Equate Your Experience with Theirs: Every
experience is unique; don’t overshadow theirs with your own.

7. Try Not to Repeat Yourself: Reiterating the same points
can be boring and condescending.

8. Stay Out of the Weeds: People care more about you than
the minute details of your stories.

9. Listen: Truly listen to understand, not just to reply.
It’s a crucial skill in meaningful conversations.

10. Be Brief: Keep it concise and show genuine interest in
others, which can lead to amazing discoveries.

You can watch Celeste Headlee’s full TED Talk here: