Episode 372
Elevating Your Communication Skills
Primary Topic: The Art of Conversation
- Essential skills for engaging in meaningful conversations
- Importance of learning conversation skills, especially in different social settings
Sub-Topics:
- Difficulties and awkwardness in conversations
- Necessity of talking to people in various life stages
Primary Topic: Building Connection and Communication Skills
- Showing genuine interest
- Active listening and asking questions
- Avoiding interrupting and filling the silence
Sub-Topics:
- Importance of genuine interest and open curiosity in others
- The impact of active listening on building connections
- Benefits of asking open-ended questions to keep the conversation flowing
Primary Topic: Dynamic Conversations
- Sharing experiences and thoughts
- Active listening and nonverbal cues
- Being authentic and present in conversations
Sub-Topics:
- Encouraging dynamic conversations through sharing experiences and thoughts
- The significance of active listening and noticing nonverbal cues
- The importance of being authentic and present in conversations
Primary Topic: Enhancing Communication Skills
- Being yourself
- Don't fake interest to impress
- Setting realistic expectations for conversations
Sub-Topics:
- Embracing authenticity and genuine interest
- Avoiding faking interest to impress others
- Understanding that not every conversation has to be deep and meaningful
Transcript
Hello, and welcome to The Traveling introvert. Today, I want to talk about conversation,
Janice Chaka [:the art of conversation, more like things that you can do when thinking about conversations. A lot of the time, conversations can be difficult or awkward depending on who you're talking to. Maybe it's someone you've just met, someone maybe it's someone you would like to impress, maybe someone you don't like, but we all have to talk to people, at some stage in our lives. And so it's really essential to kind of learn some skills that will help to make that go easier. And it's the idea of being able to have engaging and meaningful discussions with others, even if it's about a topic you don't care about because you're at work. And so it requires being an active listener, sharing your thoughts and ideas, and connecting with others on a somewhat deeper level. So first things first is show a genuine interest. Be genuinely interested in the other person.
Janice Chaka [:Have, open curiosity and don't make assumptions. Even if you don't like the person, you might find out something about them that you didn't know. Ask questions, listen to their responses, and show that you've listened to what they've had to say. This will make the other person feel valued, right, and help you build that connection and keep the conversation flowing. Nothing halts a conversation The interrupting. Not only is it rude, but it shows you're not really listening, and you're just thinking about what you want to say and putting yourself first. So don't do that. Right? You can ask follow-up questions, but let the other person finish their thoughts before answering or asking a follow-up question.
Janice Chaka [:Don't just try and fill the silence. It's okay. Now here is the real key thing that people aren't necessarily good at doing when they're thinking about conversations. Ask open ended questions. Open ended questions are really effective way of keeping the conversation going without you having to do too much heavy lifting. These questions are questions that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. They require the other person to elaborate. So, for example, instead of asking do you like your job, ask what do you enjoy most about your job? And then you'll find that you'll hear something that will make you ask a different question, a follow-up question, and will pique your curiosity to keep the conversation going.
Janice Chaka [:Now don't be afraid to share your experiences and thoughts on the discussed topics. Sharing is what makes the conversation more dynamic and will encourage others to do the same, but be mindful that you're not sort of one upping the other person or telling unrelated stories because that can be very off putting. We talked about active listening. That requires noticing nonverbal skills or just listening to the person and being intentional and being present. You'll notice the person's tone change or maybe their body language might change when they're discussing a topic. This can provide insights into their feelings and will help you guide the conversation in a probable positive direction. You need to be present. You need to listen to what they're saying.
Janice Chaka [:Don't be thinking ahead to what you want to say or that question that you want to ask. Actually be The, be present and listen to them and be yourself. The most important aspect of talking to somebody else is being yourself. Don't try to be someone you're not or fake your interests. You cannot like something and say that, hey. Oh, I didn't realize x y and z about this topic because you don't know everything. So it's not about changing yourself or trying to like the same thing that other people like, but it's using that curiosity that you have to open the doors to different types of conversations and to talk about different things. Don't fake your interest to impress someone.
Janice Chaka [:Be authentic. Be genuine and you'll naturally have more meaning conversations. And don't set sort of high expectations that every conversation has to be a deep meaningful conversation. It won't be, and that's okay. So just, you know, think about these things. And with a bit of thought and practice, you'll sort of enhance and uplevel your communication skills and have more engaging and meaningful conversations. Thank you for listening. This is Janice at The Career Introvert, helping you build your brand and get hired.
Janice Chaka [:Have a great rest of your week.
