Great Chats Begin With Great Starters I @NeuroDiversionEvent

Key Concepts:

• Conversation ratings (1-5 scale)
• Autopilot questions
• Optimism producers
• Self-narrative

Conversation Rating Research

Science of People conducted research involving 500 speed networkers to rate conversations on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 represented the most awkward conversation and 5 represented the most amazing conversation.

Worst-Rated Questions: Autopilot Mode

The two questions that received the worst ratings were:

• "How are you?"
• "What do you do?"

These questions are considered "autopilot" questions because they trigger automatic, uninspired responses.

Best-Rated Questions: Optimism Producers

The questions that received the best ratings were:

• "What was the highlight of your day?" - This question prompts the person to recall something positive.
• "What personal passion project are you working on?" and "Have anything exciting coming up in your life?" - These questions are considered "secret optimism producers" because they encourage the person to think about positive aspects of their life and future.

The Divisive Question: "What's Your Story?"

The question "What's your story?" elicited the most varied responses, ranging from zero to five.

Self-Narrative: Understanding and Prediction

"Your self-narrative is how you make sense of your life. It's the reason behind your actions." Understanding someone's self-narrative allows you to:

• Understand how they work.
• Predict their behavior.

Conclusion

The research highlights the importance of asking engaging and thoughtful questions to foster meaningful conversations. Avoiding autopilot questions and focusing on questions that elicit positive emotions or reveal a person's self-narrative can significantly improve the quality of interactions.