Let’s talk about better questions to ask to re-start rapport. I tried some advice on building connections at a conference last week and it worked even better than I’d hoped.
Transcript
I tried out some advice at a conference this week where I started conversations with folks I knew but hadn’t seen in a long while with versions of “What are you excited about?” or “What’s been exciting lately?” as a way to jumpstart re-connection.
I asked an industry buddy that I hadn’t seen in person for almost a year, he paused … cuz he wasn’t prepared for that question. Then, a second later, he says “Easy” and his hand whips back like a western gunslinger to pull out his phone. He starts showing me pictures of the Manitou Incline in Colorado, with 2,000 feet of elevation over 2,700 steps. Then the pics show his son with him. Then, it shows sunrise from the peak. All the sudden, we are talking about parenting, personal growth, and a bunch of stuff more interesting than just “work”.
I asked someone else who’s something of an industry icon, especially in the Boston area. He smiles (as much inward as outwardly) and says “the classroom.” Even after all these years with all the junk around, he loves the peer-level learning and what he gets from participant to lecturer, and not just lecturer to participant. All the sudden, we’re talking about connections, staying relevant in a dynamic field, and other stuff that is more interesting than “just” work.
I frequently talk about how important personal connection is within the workplace, and conferences are a great way to do that at-scale. In person team meetings are too; both of which enable connection as much or more than just relaying information, which you can kinda do through Teams/Zoom (ish).
So, the next time that you are re-kindling a friendship (or building a new one), don’t start with something informative – start with something “exciting.”
See you next Monday
Jason Buffington .com 
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