10 Tips for Great Conversations

Always in a hurry, but you want to communicate better? Celeste Headlee gives a great TED talk about how to have a better conversation, but if you want to save 12 minutes, here’s her ten tips for great conversations.

1. Don’t multitask – Keep focused on the person with whom you are talking. Be present. Be in that moment. Be 100% committed to the conversation.

2. Don’t pontificate – Assume you have something to learn through the conversation, instead of just sharing your personal opinions. Be open to their ideas.

3. Use open-ended questions – Instead of asking yes/no questions, ask “what was that like” or “how did that feel”

4. Go with the flow – Things will enter your mind, let them go in order to focus on the conversation you are in

5. If you don’t know, say you don’t know

6. Don’t equate your experiences with theirs – Your “similar” examples aren’t needed, the experiences are never the same. Remember the conversation isn’t about you only.

7. Try not to repeat yourself – It can be boring and turn off your audience

8. Stay out of the weeds – Details aren’t important

9. Listen – really listen! Stay focused on the conversation. Listen to understand.

10. Be brief

Having better conversations boils down to this: be interested in other people! Be open to other people and be prepared to be amazed.

If you’d like to listen to the full TED talk: www.ted.com/talks/celeste_headlee_10_ways_to_have_a_better_conversation

Want to learn more about communication? Let’s have a conversation! Valerie.MacLeod@HainesCentre.com