What do you love to do?

I can't remember who (if it was you, let me know and I'll update this post), but I once read a tweet that went something like:

"Tired of boring icebreakers at conferences? Ask this one: 'What do you love to do?'"

Solid advice. I've been using it for a few years now and it is frequently met with their eyes lighting up as they say "What a great question!" followed by "Hmm...."

I love that it's open ended — they could talk about their work if they wanted to, a nice, safe, comfortable topic that they've rehearsed.

But it's also an invitation into their personal life, their hobbies, their interests, their goals. It gives them permission to open up and be a little more authentic, instead of regurgitating the same thing they say to everyone else.

And I love it! I've learned about people's musical hobbies, things they enjoy cooking, what they collect. One guy was a regular scavenger hunter — who knew you could have that hobby? — and one liked fixing cars.

It's a great ice breaker. People love to talk about themselves, but they might feel uncomfortable in a new situation like a conference or convention. This lets them know that there are friends here who are interested and care about them. (Naturally, don't forget to listen intently as they answer, and to ask follow-up questions.)

And be sure to have an answer ready yourself. As for me, I love learning to play the piano and composing music for my spaceship game. It's not good music yet, but I'm getting better!