I subscribe to the 3-2-1 blog by James Clear. He is the author of Atomic Habits. The blog comes out every Thursday and always has great stuff. In one part, he has ideas or quotes from others. This particular week, he had something from Psychologist and author Adam Grant.
Grant shares a question for sparking better conversation. He says, “When you meet someone new, don’t ask: What do you do? It limits what people share about themselves to a job description. Instead, try: What do you love to do? It ignites curiosity and invites people to express their distinctive interests.” Just change the question a little bit and ask, “What is it that you love to do?”
One simple word: love. This simple change in the question makes it so different and so inviting for the other person to share their passions, share their true interests, not just what they do for work. It gets them to share what they love to do.
Since reading this, I have started doing it, and I love it. No pun intended. I love the conversations that follow, and not only is the person excited to share their passions and interests, but they’re also so pleased. I asked the questions. Many people remark that they love the question too.
Give it a try. I think you’ll like the results!
