Starting Conversations
Give one example of how to start a conversation with a stranger.
Hi there! Good morning! Top o' the morning to ya! Hi, how are you? Hi! I'm ___, what's your name?
List 3 reasons why you would want to reconnect with an old friend.
Missing the friendship, lost forms of communication, looking for more positive supporters in life, etc.
What is the difference between reconnecting with family members compared to reconnecting with friends?
Usually, family members may know you better and have more history together. You may need to be prepared to talk more about what you have been doing, and be willing to talk about gaps in time when you were not in touch. You might not have contact because of something unpleasant that happened but the act of reaching out will begin to rebuild the relationship.
What are three things you can do to show someone you are listening to them?
Look at the person, eye contact, nod your head, say "uh-huh" "ok" "I see", repeat back the person's main point, or make a comment about what the person just said.
Demonstrate a situation with your teammate where a mother and son begin to reconnect after a big argument. They have not spoken to each other in months.
Directly addressing the conflict, requesting to reconnect, and share about positive current news.
True or False: Conversations while meeting new people should be surface level, and light hearted.
True! When meeting new people, it is important to withhold providing too much information or diving too deep as this may be seen as off-putting.
True or False: It's never a good idea to reconnect with a friend you've lost touch with.
False! It all depends on the relationship that you had with the person in the past, if they were a good friend then you can definitely reach out!
Problem Solve: If the unpleasant event with the family member was minor or has been worked out already, how should you approach the conversation?
You may not need to talk about it at all or discuss it in detail. You may choose to briefly acknowledge the event, and then move on to the positive things you have done recently.
What are three topics you can bring to make the conversation enjoyable?
Sports, weather, personal interests, food, pets, humor, etc.
Demonstrate a response to your old friend, who you tried to reconnect with, tells you they do not want to try being friends anymore.
Share that you respect their decision, you wanted to try reconnecting, and you wish them all the best.
Give one example of how to end a conversation with someone.
It was great meeting you, have a good day! Bye!
Give one example of a way to contact and reach out to an old friend.
Email, message on social media, text, call, letter.
Problem Solve: If you think the unpleasant event was significant or could make it difficult for you to talk with your relative, how should you start the conversation?
You may want to address it directly. It may be helpful to acknowledge what had happened, the upset feelings it may have caused, apologize for it, and then tell the family member about some positive changes you have made in your life recently. Best practice is to always own up to our mistakes!
How can you tell someone is enjoying the conversation with you?
Smiling, laughing, agreeing with your statements, adding more details to the conversation, etc.
Start a conversation about the weather today with your teammate, pretend like you are just meeting each other.
Hi there! Nice to meet you! What do you think of the weather today? That tornado looks scary!
List three places where you can meet new people.
Treatment, the store, church, support groups, in a class, at work, etc.
What are three topics you can bring to the conversation when reconnecting with someone?
Asking the person what they are doing now, telling the person how you are doing now, reminiscing on things you used to do together (working at the same place, taking a class, playing or watching sports, listening to music, etc.), things you have in common.
How would you start the conversation of reconnecting with a family member?
"I haven't been in touch for awhile and I just wanted to catch up" "We haven't talked in awhile and I wanted to reach out" "I saw on social media that you recently had something good happen in your life, I wanted to reach out to congratulate you"
Give an example of a question you would ask someone new to get to know them better.
What do you like to do in your free time? What do you do for work? What is your favorite type of food?
You've been thinking about an old friend lately and want to reach out to them. You call them on the phone.
Say who it is, ask how the friend is doing, say why you're calling, ask the friend what they have been up to lately.
List three benefits of starting a conversation with someone new.
Benefits: build conversational skills, meet someone new, develop a new friendship, feeling confident, brightens your day or someone else's day.
What should you do if the reconnection conversation goes well?
Suggest a way to stay connected; texting, calling, meeting up for coffee, doing a shared interest together, etc.
What should you do if the reconnection conversation goes well?
Share that you want to stay connected with the family member. You may want to come up with a plan to see each other again, meet up with more family members, and rebuild further connections that may have been damaged.
List three benefits to having an enjoyable conversation.
You can brighten your mood, build a friendship, learn something new, cheer someone up, etc.
Demonstrate a response to your mom if you are attempting to reconnect with her and she continues to bring up the unpleasant minor event in your conversation.
Explain that you acknowledge the past event, apologize for the hurt feelings this caused, share positive things currently happening in your life, and ask to be able to move forward from what happened.