Conversation
Being interrupted
Interruption is unevenly distributed, and there are techniques for both ends of it.
Conversation
Small talk, listening, questions and difficult exchanges.
Conversation
Conversations with people much older or younger
The awkwardness across a large age gap comes from a few specific assumptions, all of which can be dropped.
Conversation
Talking to someone who is grieving
The fear of saying the wrong thing produces silence, which is the one thing that reliably makes it worse.
Conversation
Saying no
The difficulty is not the word but the sentence around it, and there is a form that works.
Conversation
Apologising properly
A real apology has components, and leaving one out is what makes an apology feel worse than none.
Conversation
Listening when you are tired
Attention is a finite resource, and the honest response to running out of it is better than a performance of listening.
Conversation
Small talk that goes somewhere
The transition from weather to something real happens at a specific point, and it can be steered.
Conversation
Interviewing someone well
Whether for a job, a podcast or an article, the skill is the same and it is mostly about the questions you did not plan.
Conversation
Meeting new people
Networking events are unpleasant largely because of how people approach them, and the alternative is more effective as well as more bearable.
Conversation
Talking to people you disagree with
Arguments rarely change minds and conversations sometimes do, and the difference is in the approach.
Conversation
Difficult conversations
The preparation determines the outcome, and the most common error is having the conversation you rehearsed rather than the one in front of you.
Conversation
Listening properly
Most people listen in order to respond, which is a different activity and produces different results.
Conversation
Small talk, and why it is not small
It is a social protocol with a specific function, and people who dismiss it as trivial generally find it difficult.