Getting Unstuck - Ayelet Baron

What’s Your Superpower?Get EdgierHim: “What’s your superpower?”You: “Blah blah and blah blah. And did I men)on blah blah?”Him: [Trying to look interested in your monologue]If you have a convoluted long answer, you most likely will lose the person's aSen)on. Think about that interac)on as a connec)on. What people gravitate towards is passion for a solu)on to a problem -­‐ something they can’t live without. And, most people like to talk about themselves so draw them in by asking engaging ques)ons.If you are trying to connect, you only have 4 seconds to get to know someone. If there is interest, the next 2-­‐4 hours can be spent on learning your story. In the world of stereotypes, you want to stand out and be less socially acceptable. Here is how I have learned and trained myself to start conversa)ons since I no longer have a recognizable affilia)on with a brand name company:Him: “What do you do?”Me: “I fired myself from corporate America. I am helping people and organiza)ons get unstuck.Him: “Wow. You seem happy. Tell me more ...”"It isn’t what you did in the past that will affect thepresent. It’s what you do in the present that will redeemthe past and thereby change the future.”— Paulo CoelhoWe have been condi)oned to fit in so even in how we approach networking or mee)ng with people, we tend to use socially acceptable norms. When people have the opportunity, they mostly share their name and what company they are affiliated with. Shake it up. At a recent event, the person who I found most interes)ng was the one who shared that she wrote a film about electronic vo)ng fraud because she was so passionate about it. I can't wait to meet her for coffee next week! And I found out about two great communi)es that I am passionate about from another connec)on I met at another event. Who knew there was a community for people in the Bay area who want to collaborate on work the do in Africa?Getting Unstuck46