The purpose of this assignment is to help you have conversations with people. This is a 2 part assignment:
Part 1: Getting Curious – 10%
- Imagine you were introduced to someone new at a party or in class. Write out 5-6 things you would like to learn about them, assuming they could be a friend
- Write out 5-6 things you want to learn about someone you admire professionally (e.g. you met Elon Musk in an elevator – what would you want to know from him?)
- Frame 4 of the above things you’re curious about into questions (2 from each bullet point above). Make sure the questions don’t sound like you’re interviewing or interrogating the person you’re talking to. Make them natural and conversational. The best way to do this is say it out aloud in front of a mirror or try them on a friend.
Part 2: Talk to someone in the wild – 5%
- In your day-to-day activities, approach someone you don’t know and strike up a conversation with them. Try to make sure it is longer than 3-4 mins. Use some of the questions you framed from Part 1 of this assignment in your conversation. The kinds of questions you use will depend on who the person is (e.g. if you approach a professor, you may ask about their work rather than their favourite colour, and so on). Dig deep into your curiosity to help you keep the conversation going. AND read the person’s body language to determine the strength and length of the conversation.
- Write 200-300 words describing your experience. Answer the following:
- How did you decide who to approach?
- Who did you approach?
- How did the conversation go? Were there any outcomes from your chat?
- How long did you chat? What was their body language telling you?
- How did it feel? (awkward, fun, interesting, etc..)
- What did you learn from the conversation and/or the act of approaching a stranger?
