“ SO, WHAT DO YOU DO ? ”
Probably the number one question in the world.
Go Beyond the Obvious
Why not go beyond the obvious?
Why not unlock a tiny bit of the mystery behind what makes people tick?
On the arrival day of all Revealing Vajra yoga retreats, there is no such thing as an introduction round. I went on way too many retreats myself where I had to do this and, I hated it every single time. It just boils down to labeling and putting people into their little boxes. And, nobody is really listening anyway.
We do other things to get to know each other and we really do connect. But, it happens that by the end of the week, we still don’t know what some people do for a living. And, some people might have even left out that they are a dad or a mom. We’re so much more than just these social roles.
I have always liked working with questions. Out of the ordinary questions.
Killer HR Questions, take it from a Yogi….
Even in my days as an operational director, I would ask these kinds of questions (not all of them) on application interviews. I can assure you that you can see people freaking out on the spot.
Because it’s very hard to give politically correct answers!
You simply have to dig deeper to give a meaningful answer. And that was exactly what I was looking for. People who weren’t afraid to think outside of any box, who would design their own box or get rid of the damn thing. I’ve interviewed and hired hundreds of people and I can still recall the couple of bad judgment calls I made. The kind of questions I’ll list below for sure made the success rate so high.
Ask me Anything!
Here are some questions, which can give you some interesting answers and real connection.
- Who are you?
- How are you feeling about yourself today?
- How do you feel about the person closest to you?
- Have you ever felt on the edge of madness?
- What is easier, forget or forgive?
- What do you regret?
- What is the most amazing moment of your life?
- What or who do you miss?
- Have you ever betrayed someone?
- What are you proud of?
- What are you afraid of?
- Who is your biggest inspiration?
- What would you like to learn?
- What makes your Heart sing?
- What are the first 3 things you will buy when you receive 3 Million USD right here and now?
I can assure you that your conversations will go to whole new level when asking these questions. Especially with the people you like, love and care about.
And why not reflect on them yourself? You might be very surprised on how difficult it is to be honest in your answers…
Genuine Listening
With asking questions, there’s another aspect that comes into play and that’s the listening part.
In his book, The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, Thich Nhat Hanh said, “Deep listening is the foundation of Right Speech. If we cannot listen mindfully, we cannot practice Right Speech.”
Genuine listening on yoga retreats
When you ask a question, you don’t need to prepare in your mind what you are going to answer should the question come back. You don’t need to judge, agree, disagree nor give counseling, advice or your own opinion. You ‘just’ listen to what the other person has to say.
I wish you tons of wonderful conversations!
And, if you have any questions you want to ask me? Shoot!
Here below or privately via rb@revealingvajra.com
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