Questions are tools that enable you to LISTEN

One of the best tools for listening can be a collection of great open-ended questions.

The guy on the right is a great listener (when he is not lost in jacksplaining)

Consider having a go-to question to use when you first meet someone that is a break from the typical, "how are you doing?" or "what do you do?" 
Designer colleague Patrick Robinson asked me, "how's your world?" and it was just enough to shift away from cliche.

Share your go-to in the comments!

Here is a sampling of questions to spark your creativity:

Openers:

• What brought you here?
• What excites you right now?
• When you're not working, how do you like to spend your time?
• What are you reading currently?
• What’s the first concert you attended?
• Where do you most hope to visit?
• Where did you grow up?
• What's your favorite word or number (or animal) and why?
• What was your first job?
• What's one thing you're excited about that's coming up next year?
• What was the worst job you've ever had?
• What was your favorite subject in school?
• What’s your little-known talent?
• What’s the most important thing I should know about you?

Below the Surface:

• If you could spend a day in someone else’s shoes, whose would they be? Why?
• What's one thing your family taught you that completely changed your life?
• What’s been on your mind lately?
• What’s the first career you dreamed of having as a kid?
• What's one of your favorite memories?
• What's one thing about you that surprises people?
• Who, or what, was your biggest teacher?
• What was something you've done that made you feel extreme happiness?
• What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?
• If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be?
• What does success mean to you?
• What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
• Where is your happy place?
• What energizes you and brings you excitement?
• What qualities do you value in the people with whom you spend time?
• For what would you be famous?
• What does your dream day look like?
• If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?
• What’s your guilty pleasure?
• At what job would you be terrible?
• If you had to choose only 3 adjectives to describe yourself, which would you choose?

Going Deep -

• What is a dream you have that you’ve yet to achieve?
• What's something you say you'll do, but never will?
• Has anything ever happened to you that you could not, and cannot, explain?
• What is one thing about you that people misunderstand?
• For what are you most grateful today?
• If you could have one 'do over' in your life, what would you do differently?
• Of what are you most afraid?