Practice to Have a Quality Conversation
Master the art of meaningful dialogue with practical techniques for creating authentic, balanced conversations that foster deeper connections and genuine relationships.
Quality conversation will have authenticity, depth, and balance. It displays curiosity, empathy, and validation of another person’s experience. A good conversation is not about words—it’s about exchanging and understanding emotions, perspectives, and goals, and provides an environment that exudes encouragement, loyalty, and stronger personal bonds. Sometimes a good conversation is very limited on words and consists of mostly active listening and being present.
Skills You Can Practice
We often don’t think intentionally about our conversations, but there are skills that can be practiced to engage in a quality conversation. Here are a few pointers to make a conversation more meaningful and promote quality conversation:
Start with Shared Environment Questions
Initiate conversation by asking questions about the shared environment:
- Do you like this park?
- How often do you come here?
- Do you often run into people you know?
- Do you like this restaurant?
- What is your favorite dish here?
- How did you find this place?
- Tell me more about this or that…
Continue asking open-ended and follow-up questions that allow the other person to express their interests.
Read the Room
Assess if the other person actually wants the conversation to continue. If they keep breaking eye contact or fail to ask questions of their own, consider an exit strategy from such conversation. Forcing conversation creates an uncomfortable situation for everyone. Sometimes it is best to move on and depart if the conversation is not reciprocated or not supported.
Balance is Key
On the other hand, keep in mind that different personalities enjoy talking about themselves to varying degrees, so make sure there’s an equal give and take in the conversation.
To have a healthy balance in a conversation, avoid giving one-word answers when it is your turn to respond. If you sense that the conversation cannot be balanced or you don’t sense the reciprocity in energy and curiosity—it is normal to plan an exit strategy, which can be as simple as “I won’t keep you any longer” to signal your intention to exit. This can help you exit the conversation gracefully, ensuring an overall positive impression of each other.
Ready to practice your conversation skills with new people? Download Dolphy and start meeting people through shared activities today.