About this Event
Conversation Skills Practice
Join us in person to practice how to start, join, and leave conversations comfortably. Build your conversation skills in a relaxed, supportive setting!
Description
Do you walk into a room and wonder how to approach a group of people? Once you’re in a conversation, do you struggle to keep it going, or realize you’ve been doing most of the talking? Maybe you’re ready to move on but don’t know how to leave without feeling rude.
Conversation isn’t a personality trait. It’s a skill, and skills can be practiced.
Foundations of Conversation is a facilitated group session where you practice the everyday moments that trip people up, in a warm, supportive room where everyone is learning together.
What we’ll practice
- Starting a conversation, and joining one that’s already underway
- Finding things to talk about beyond work
- Sharing the conversational space so it’s not all questions or all talking
- Getting through pauses and losing your train of thought
- Leaving a conversation gracefully
How it works
We learn a practical skill, practice it together in short guided exercises, and debrief. Between practices, there’s a quiet minute to catch your breath. You’ll leave with simple tools you can use at your very next event.
This is for you if you…
- skip industry events because you worry about what to say
- circle the room because joining a group feels awkward
- get stuck talking to the same person all night
- replay conversations in your head long after they’re over
- are comfortable talking about work, but stall when the conversation moves beyond it
What participants say
“Jen is the perfect combination of knowledgeable and nonjudgmental. Her spaces are extremely warm, and from day 1, I felt my confidence during awkward social interactions increase.” — Julianna P.
“I didn’t expect to laugh so much!”
“I left every session wanting more.”
About your facilitator
I’m Jen Keefe, founder of Human Skills Practice. For years I thought some people were simply good at talking to people, and I wasn’t one of them. Then I realized conversation is a skill. Today I genuinely enjoy meeting new people. Not because I became fearless, but because I became practiced.
This session is free while the program is in its founding stage. Spots are limited to keep the group small.
Event venue & nearby stays
South Church Unitarian Universalist Church, 292 State Street, Portsmouth, United States
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