“Tell me about someone in your life who had a significant impact,” I queried. Lydia paused, a smile crept across her face. Without speaking a word, you could see a warm emotional connection with the person she was thinking about.

Lydia and I had been talking about communication skills, specifically listening at a deeper level. Deeper questions move the conversation to new level.

“I am not sure I am comfortable asking those questions,” she explained.

“If you want to have significant conversations, you have to ask significant questions. In the beginning you may not feel comfortable, but with more practice, you will find that people actually like to talk about things that are significant to them. It happens to be their favorite subject.”

Lydia was thinking about that significant person. As she began to speak, I could see this conversation would be interesting, inspiring and thoughtful. Lydia had been waiting a lifetime to have this conversation with someone and she was just getting started. -TF