8 Questions to Ask Someone Other Than “What Do You Do?”

We’ve all been in the awkward situation of meeting someone new and having to build rapport quickly. If you’re like many people — especially most Americans — you break the awkward silence with a pretty standard question: “So, what do you do?” But that question might not be the best way to build rapport with someone else. In fact, it may be best to avoid talking about work entirely if you want to really build trust with people. Research shows that when we have information on people from multiple contexts, we like them more. So instead of defaulting to work questions, ask them about hobbies, charities they support, where they grew up, or even who their favorite superhero is. You’ll definitely have a more interesting conversation, and you might even make a new friend.