I had a BFF who was great at this. They’d just say: What are you up to, where you from, how do you know [mutual friend], etc. Then once the other person started talking, look for things you have in common: oh yeah I went to [location] I really liked [whatever], I know [person] from there too, hey I heard [a relevant news item], etc. You have to judge how much to talk vs listen.
CAUTION: if you’re interviewing someone for a job there are often rules/laws about what you can ask. And if you’re coworkers it’s best to start out focusing on the job: What project are you working on, are you familiar with [task], are you looking forward to [deadline/event], etc.
I had a BFF who was great at this. They’d just say: What are you up to, where you from, how do you know [mutual friend], etc. Then once the other person started talking, look for things you have in common: oh yeah I went to [location] I really liked [whatever], I know [person] from there too, hey I heard [a relevant news item], etc. You have to judge how much to talk vs listen.
CAUTION: if you’re interviewing someone for a job there are often rules/laws about what you can ask. And if you’re coworkers it’s best to start out focusing on the job: What project are you working on, are you familiar with [task], are you looking forward to [deadline/event], etc.