How to talk to others without it being cringe

Nothing is as valuable to a blogger as being recognised for the importance of the content that they create.. Finally, I had my moment, too.

After a recent speaking engagement at a law firm, where I gave a masterclass on networking, I was approached by a young audience member.

"I follow you on LinkedIn and Insta!", he announced excitedly, "I've watched all of your videos with tips on making connections with others!".

I braced myself for a moment of adoration.

"Oh that's wonderful", I kept my cool. "Did you find them useful?", I prepared for a load of praise coming my way.

"Umm. Not really", was the answer.

"Oh." I was lost for words (a rare moment, as my husband would gladly testify).

"I mean, they're good to watch, but I can't really imagine enjoying a networking convo with other people", the young trainee was kind enough to clarify. "It's not very realistic. Talking to someone you don't know is cringe, I find it much easier to talk to people who are my age."

Having recovered from the initial punch to my blogger's ego, I swiftly reminded myself that Generation Z is not known "True Gen" for nothing. They say it as it is. Which means it's a great opportunity to learn at the source, so to speak.

"So what would help you to feel more confident when you are looking to connet with the people you don't know?", I enquired.

"I guess.. knowing what to say. The questions to ask! I'd love to know what to ask and what not to ask - what's safe and what's not, kinda thing."

"I hear you - don't we all! Conversations can be a bit trial and error. We are not machines and we cannot be programmed to say the right thing all the time. You're bound to get things wrong. The trick is not to let saying the wrong thing derail your efforts. We all make mistakes, we're humans. Making mistakes is a very human thing to do."

"But there must be some sort of algorithm of a good conversation?", he prodded.

"Well, there's one thing that will always deliver", I relented. "Being curious of the other person's story is all we often need to reshape our mindset from "awks" to "interesting". Actively interested in what they're saying, and asking questions that show that we are paying attention. This strategy will never let you down".

"Lit. I'll try that." he seemed enthusiastic. "Thanks, and nice meeting you. Keep posting!"

And that was it. Fascinating for me, hopefully educational for my new Gen Z friend.

And perhaps enlightenting for my readers, who might also ocassionally fall into the trap of thinking that they've cracked the code of this new generation, until we are all proven wrong.

Asking questions, I remind myself. Asking the right questions in the right tone is the strategy that will never let you down.