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Here’s a conversation tip from #34 on our Most Creative People of the year list, comedian Marc Maron. “I don’t make a list of questions. Ever. I think a lot of my interviews are driven by my need to feel connection. You listen and when you hear intonations, you hear feelings. It’s just feeling where there’s something more, getting them to a place that they’re not usually.” Here’s more advice from some of 2013’s most creative people. 

Here’s a conversation tip from #34 on our Most Creative People of the year list, comedian Marc Maron.

“I don’t make a list of questions. Ever. I think a lot of my interviews are driven by my need to feel connection. You listen and when you hear intonations, you hear feelings. It’s just feeling where there’s something more, getting them to a place that they’re not usually.”

Here’s more advice from some of 2013’s most creative people. 

FUTURIST FORUM Join us today at 11:30 AM EST for a free online discussion about why people have such a hard time thinking rationally about the future, and how to fix to that.   Something about the way we think about, envision, and even describe the future makes it hard for us to conceive of it as anything but a continuation of what is happening today, even though it often deviates from our expectations. On Thursday, March 21st at 11:30 a.m. eastern time, I’ll be moderating a discussion with Andrew Zolli, the executive director of PopTech and the author of Resilience. We’ll discuss what about our psyches make future thinking hard, and how we can recognize major changes—before they happen. And we’ll take questions from the audience. Find out more and join us here.

FUTURIST FORUM

Join us today at 11:30 AM EST for a free online discussion about why people have such a hard time thinking rationally about the future, and how to fix to that.  

Something about the way we think about, envision, and even describe the future makes it hard for us to conceive of it as anything but a continuation of what is happening today, even though it often deviates from our expectations.

On Thursday, March 21st at 11:30 a.m. eastern time, I’ll be moderating a discussion with Andrew Zolli, the executive director of PopTech and the author of Resilience. We’ll discuss what about our psyches make future thinking hard, and how we can recognize major changes—before they happen. And we’ll take questions from the audience.

Find out more and join us here.

(Source: fastcodesign)

Here’s how to  Get People To Say “Yes” With One Simple Conversational Trick Want to be more persuasive? Check out this article on the “But You Are Free” method. Make a request, but acknowledge the other person has a choice. PsyBlog explains that this persuasion technique reaffirms the person’s freedom of choice and indirectly tells the other person that you’re not threatening his/her ability right to say no. [Image: Flickr user Doug Wheller]

Here’s how to 

Get People To Say “Yes” With One Simple Conversational Trick

Want to be more persuasive? Check out this article on the “But You Are Free” method.

Make a request, but acknowledge the other person has a choice. PsyBlog explains that this persuasion technique reaffirms the person’s freedom of choice and indirectly tells the other person that you’re not threatening his/her ability right to say no.

[Image: Flickr user Doug Wheller]

Fast Company’s Quick Guide To Great Questions

·       Don’t ramble on—terminate the sentence at the question mark.

·       Get comfortable with silence.

·       Start with “who, what, when, where, how, or why” for more meaningful answers.

·       Don’t fish for the answer you want.

·       Stop nodding if you don’t understand—ask a follow-up instead.

·       If you get a non-answer, approach it again from a different angle.

·       Rephrase the answer in your own words.

·       Don’t be afraid to ask dumb questions.

Here’s more on asking questions. 

Here is Fast Company’s ultimate guide to navigating conversation in the modern workplace.        - Turn a bad idea into a good idea by asking “why?”        - Win the mind game. To harness the power of others’ unconscious brains, kick off every important dialogue with your pearly whites. “If I smile at someone, mirror neurons mimic that behavior. To some extent, that person smiles inside.”        - Cut the urgency BS. “High Priority” emails will get you no where.        - Tackle failure.  Avoid blame. Ask questions. Make failure a regular part of conversation.        - Understand your quiet colleagues.         - Explain an idea.                - Keep explanations clear and simple.  What are some other tips for navigating conversation in the workplace? Want more from Fast Company on conversations? How Do You Foster Intelligent Conversation? Talk Is Cheap. Let’s Have A Conversation The One Conversational Tool That Will Make You Better At Absolutely Everything [Image: Marekuliasz via Shutterstock][Post: m.cecelia bittner]

Here is Fast Company’s ultimate guide to navigating conversation in the modern workplace.

       - Turn a bad idea into a good idea by asking “why?”

       - Win the mind game.

To harness the power of others’ unconscious brains, kick off every important dialogue with your pearly whites. “If I smile at someone, mirror neurons mimic that behavior. To some extent, that person smiles inside.”

       - Cut the urgency BS. “High Priority” emails will get you no where.

       - Tackle failure. 

  • Avoid blame.
  • Ask questions.
  • Make failure a regular part of conversation.

       - Understand your quiet colleagues. 

       - Explain an idea. 

              - Keep explanations clear and simple. 

What are some other tips for navigating conversation in the workplace?

Want more from Fast Company on conversations?

[Image: Marekuliasz via Shutterstock][Post: m.cecelia bittner]