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The Communicator · № 06

Met a Stranger

Introduced yourself to someone you didn't know, had a 5-minute conversation, and learned three things about them.

The idea

Start with a question, not a statement about yourself. "What brings you here" beats "I'm Sam." After they answer, ask a follow-up about something they said, not something the kid wanted to talk about. Five minutes later your kid knows three things about a stranger and the stranger feels good about the conversation. That's the skill. Most adults never learned it.

Steps
  1. Find a setting where introducing yourself fits.
  2. Open with a question, not your name.
  3. Ask three follow-ups about what they said.
  4. Walk away knowing three things and their first name.
What counts

A five-minute conversation with a stranger and three things learned. A short writeup is plenty.