subject: How to avoid socially awkward situations ? [print this page] I was recently at an event where the crowd was very diverse.I hadn't seen people in the room for a long time and wasn't sure who to strike up a conversation with first.So, I made eye contact and smiled at the closest person to me.I started thinking this happens a lot to people.I thought it was worthy of a blog post.So, here are a couple things I do when I am in an awkward situation.
First, try something simple, like asmile. A smile goes a long way.In my opinion, the more a person smiles the more confidence a person has.For the longest time, I never smiled.One reason was because I was embarrassed about me teeth.I decided to do something about it at 24, get braces.It may have been a little self-centered for me to feel embarrassed, but now the braces are off and I smile all the time.A smile can change another person's mood, day and even feelings toward you.It will change the way you feel about yourself.At your next social event, instead of analyzing what the person across the room is thinking and staring at them, smile at them.It will make a world of difference.
Second, initiate aConversation Don't wait for someone to talk to you, be assertive and ask them a question.Depending on the setting, for example, if you are at a charity event, ask someone how they got involved in the cause? How long they have been involved? How can you help make a change?If you are at a business event, ask someone why they chose to attend?What they do for a living? Then introduce what you do and why you attended the event.I know these seem like effortless questions, but sometimes we freeze when meeting new people and try to strike up an intelligent conversation, when all we have to do is ask a simple question.
Finally, always ask for acard This is very important.Ask for their card and then make notes on the back of the card about your conversation, and their appearance if you are one who is bad at remembering faces.Plus, you may be able to help each other in the future.
These are just a few of my tricks to turn socially awkward situations into a more pleasant and productive one.They are simple and I am sure most of you have heard these ideas before, I didn't make them up, just trying to refresh your mind.
