Some friends & family we get to see every week. To get an update, we tend to ask the same tired questions – how are you, how is work going, how was the weekend?
Instead, try these conversation starters regularly to reignite your friendships and fire up your conversations:
1. What have you learnt this week?: I learnt recently that the McDonalds character Grimace has an Irish uncle, Uncle O’Grimacey. Sharing this fun fact led to some really fun conversations. Asking your friends what they have learnt this week is a fun way of sharing information. And it helps people notice how they have grown this week.
2. What has been the highlight of your week?: Asking for someone’s weekly highlight is not a whole lot different to simply asking someone how their week was. But it sets a different focus for the conversation. Instead of your mind going to the mundane facts, it instead thinks about what stood out. What will you remember in the long-term about this week? Coupling this question with “what was your low of the week” can also help your friend open up if something is troubling them.
3. What do you want to achieve this week?: Asking such a question challenges you & your friends to be more deliberate with how you live your life. It also helps you learn about their ambitions & priorities.
4. What are you reading lately?: For some, this will be a book. For others, it might be articles or websites. Most of us are engaging with new information in some form. Find out what they are taking from it.
5. How did you make the world a better place this week?: Challenge each other to improve the lives of others. If everyone had this attitude, the world would be an amazing place to live in. This is the power of conversation.
6. What burning question is on your heart at the moment?: Get inside their head. You may not have an answer for them, but if they are wrestling with this question then they will have plenty of fuel for the conversation.
You probably won’t ask all of these questions every week. But there may be one or two that stand out to you. Get in the habit of using those questions regularly. Then those you see regularly will anticipate your next conversation by noting their highlights, things learnt, and what they can do to make the world a better place.
Of course, you can also get a variety of conversation starters every week when you subscribe to Awkward Silence. Let’s Talk!
New year’s resolutions are more successful when you start them in March.