In this insightful TED Talk, journalist and radio host Celeste Headlee shares 10 practical tips to improve the quality of our conversations—whether with friends, coworkers, or strangers. Drawing from years of experience in hosting interviews, she emphasizes the importance of being present, listening actively, and asking thoughtful questions.
Her key advice includes:
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Don’t multitask – Be fully in the moment.
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Don’t pontificate – Enter every conversation with the mindset that you have something to learn.
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Use open-ended questions – Encourage deeper responses and insight.
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Go with the flow – Let thoughts come and go without interrupting the conversation.
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If you don’t know, say so – Be honest.
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Don’t equate your experience with theirs – All experiences are individual.
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Try not to repeat yourself – It’s condescending and boring.
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Stay out of the weeds – People care more about who you are than every little detail.
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Listen – This is the most important skill of all.
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Be brief – A good conversation is like a mini skirt: short enough to retain interest, but long enough to cover the subject.
“Most of us don’t listen with the intent to understand. We listen with the intent to reply.”
-Stephen R. Covey
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