Stop asking questions like you're interviewing for a job - it kills real conversation

I noticed this at a meetup last month. Someone asked 'What's your five year plan for your career?' and the room went dead. Nobody wants to answer that kind of formal stuff. If you really want to know something, just say 'So what made you stick with woodworking for this long?' or something that feels normal. People open up way more when the question sounds like you actually care instead of reading off a HR form. Has anyone else noticed this at their local groups or is it just me?

3 comments

3 Comments

hill.margaret1mo ago

Got stuck at a party once where a guy kept asking people about their "biggest professional challenge." Heard someone finally just say "I dropped a frozen turkey on my foot last Thanksgiving, that was pretty challenging" and walked away. The whole room cracked up and after that everyone just started telling funny stories about kitchen disasters instead. It was way better than hearing about quarterly reports.

williams.sage1mo ago

People who force "professional" conversations at social gatherings are the WORST. Nobody wants to talk about quarterly targets while holding a beer and a napkin. That person who brought up the turkey saved the whole room from a night of boring small talk. Kitchen disasters are UNIVERSALLY relatable. Burned casseroles and dropped pies bring people together way more than corporate success stories ever will. That guy with the turkey deserves a medal.

jamie9401mo ago

Biggest professional challenge" - oh man, that's the kind of question that makes you want to chug your drink and pretend you got an urgent text. Dropped turkey beats that every single time. At least with a kitchen disaster you get a good story out of it, not just a reminder that you're still stuck in the same cubicle farm as last year. That guy who cracked the joke basically saved the whole party from turning into a corporate board meeting with better snacks.