Read a recent blog post that offered a great reminder for how to get a conversation started. The "how’s it going?" opening that is all too familiar will typically yield a "just hanging in there" or "trying to survive" answer.
These questions will certainly steer the discussion in a much better direction:
- What’s the good word? (a Dale Carnegie inspiration about 80 years ago)
- What are you enthused about these days?
- What are you working on these days?
Or even, this one: "Tell me something interesting; I’m dying to hear about something new and cool!"
Now that should get things started in a positive fashion. Give it a try.