Assignment
Effective conversational skills can lead to success in networking, meeting new friends and working with others. People who show an interest in others by carefully listening to what they say and by avoiding interrupting them attract the appreciation and respect of others. Here is an opportunity to try out your skills at engaging others in conversation, listening carefully and asking questions that demonstrate your interest and your understanding of what the other person is saying.
This assignment requires you to initiate a conversation with someone that you do not know well and that lasts more than three minutes. You will need to write about the experience very soon after the conversation occurs as you answer five questions about your conversational questioning and listening experience. This assignment requires you to answer five multi-faceted questions about your questioning and listening experience. You will receive two points for each question that is answered fully and effectively.
The keys to being prepared to answer the five multi-faceted questions about your conversation are to:
• Select someone that you do not know well and initiate a conversation
• Create and use questions to start the conversation and then use questions to extend the conversation so that you encourage the other person to continue to speak.
• Listen carefully to the other person's words and ideas by quieting your thoughts
• Avoid judging the person and do not interrupt him or her.
• Take note of how well you concentrate on what the person says and what distracts you.
Your written assignment is to answer the following multi-faceted questions:
1. Who was the person that you did not know well whom you chose to meet and why did you select this person?
2. What are four questions that you thought about using to start the conversation and which question did you use successfully?
3. Were you able to stay focused on the other person's talking and about listening without interrupting and what, if any, questions did you use to extend the conversation?
4. Did you begin to judge the other person and/or feel the desire to talk about what was on you mind and what how did you handle the urge to jump in?
5. What are three things that you learned from this experience?