Workplace expert Henna Pryor has a piece of advice: Stop beginning conversations with, “What do you do?”
Asking someone about their work can help you find common ground or learn about the other person, but it’s not a surefire way to actually connect with them, says Pryor, CEO of Philadelphia-based leadership coaching firm Pryority Group. “Some people are between jobs, or a stay-at-home parent, or a caregiver,” Pryor notes.
Instead, try asking: “How do your spend your days?”
Some people may still give a career-oriented response, but others may talk about their hobbies, like CrossFit or baking. “You should see the way people’s faces light up when you ask that question,” Pryor says. “It gets people to tap into various parts of their identities, and all of a sudden, other parts of their brain activate. It’s immediately more connective human to human.”
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