Starting a conversation is not easy, especially if you are shy, or facing a room of strangers, new colleagues or old friends you have run out of small talk with. The good news is that it is a skill, not a personality trait, and the questions you choose do most of the work. In a well-known 1997 study in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, psychologist Arthur Aron and colleagues found that pairs of strangers who worked through a set of gradually deeper questions felt markedly closer than pairs who made ordinary small talk.
In our years helping hosts run live sessions at AhaSlides, we have seen the same thing on screen: give a group a good prompt and the conversation runs itself. Below are 140 conversation topics grouped by setting, five practical tips to get started, and a few ways to run them live with a whole group.
Five practical tips for starting a conversation
1. Keep it simple
The point of a conversation is not to impress but to share and listen. Stick to simple questions, be honest and be yourself: trying to say something clever usually puts pressure on both sides.
2. Start with a question
An open-ended question is the fastest way onto a topic the other person cares about. Instead of "do you like your job?", try "what is the most interesting thing about your job?" and you open a door rather than close one.
3. Listen actively
Pay attention to the other person's words, tone and body language rather than rehearsing your reply. Their cues tell you when to dig deeper and when to change the subject.
4. Show interest
Comfortable eye contact, a smile and a nod show that you are engaged, without tipping into an awkward stare.
5. Be honest, open and kind
Share a little of your own experience after you ask, and it stops feeling like an interview. For anything you would rather not discuss, a polite "shall we talk about something else?" is perfectly fine.
General conversation topics
Easy, low-stakes questions for a first coffee, a team lunch or the first five minutes of a meeting. Our pick: What are three surprising things about you?, because the answers almost always lead somewhere unexpected.
Films, music and shows6 topics
- Do you listen to any podcasts? Which is your favourite?
- What do you think has been the best film of the year so far?
- What song can't you get out of your head at the moment?
- Would you recommend the last rom-com you watched? Why or why not?
- Which celebrity couple do you wish would get back together?
- Is there a series you'd recommend I start this week?
Getting to know you8 topics
- What was your favourite toy or game as a child?
- Who was your childhood hero?
- If you didn't have the job you have now, what would you be doing?
- What are three surprising things about you?
- How have your interests changed over the last few years?
- What's one thing you'd love to be an expert at?
- What sport do you wish you were good at?
- What's a hobby you've picked up recently?
Places and plans6 topics
- Where would you go on holiday if you had no budget?
- What's your favourite restaurant around here?
- Which city would you move to tomorrow if you could?
- What's one company perk you'd love to have?
- What are your company's unique traditions?
- What's the best thing you've done this month?
Deep conversation topics
People tend to avoid deeper questions because they expect them to feel awkward, but a 2022 study by Michael Kardas, Amit Kumar and Nicholas Epley found that deep conversations with strangers were less awkward and more enjoyable than people predicted. Our pick: Which teaches you more: success or failure?, a question almost everyone has a story for.
Lessons learned7 topics
- What's the worst piece of advice you've ever heard?
- What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far?
- Which teaches you more: success or failure?
- What lessons from your childhood have shaped how you see the world?
- What has been your biggest success so far, and how did it change your life?
- What's the biggest challenge you've taken on this year, and how did you get through it?
- What's the most interesting thing you've learned at work?
Who you are8 topics
- What are your best ways to deal with stress?
- What's the best surprise you've ever received?
- What is your definition of risk?
- What do you do when you feel unmotivated?
- If you could change one thing about your personality, what would it be?
- If you could go back in time, is there anything you would change?
- How do you keep yourself organised day to day?
- What does "inner beauty" mean to you?
Big questions5 topics
- Do you think people can really change?
- Is it better to be a specialist or a generalist?
- If you could break one rule without getting in trouble, which would it be?
- Can someone be too young to be in love? Why or why not?
- How would your life be different if social media didn't exist?
Funny conversation topics
Use these to break the tension at a party, a team social or a slow Monday morning. Our pick: What's the worst superhero power you can imagine?, which gets everyone competing for the most useless answer.
Food and fridges5 topics
- What's the weirdest thing you have ever eaten?
- What's the craziest food you want to try?
- If your personality were a food, what would it be?
- What's the weirdest thing in your fridge right now?
- What would be the worst "buy one, get one free" deal of all time?
Embarrassing moments5 topics
- What's the funniest text you've ever received?
- What's the most embarrassing thing you've seen happen to someone else?
- What's a random, funny thing that happened to you on holiday?
- What's your most embarrassing moment at work?
- What's the strangest thing you've seen on social media recently?
Pure imagination10 topics
- What would be the worst possible name to give a child?
- What's the worst superhero power you can imagine?
- What's popular now that everyone will be embarrassed by in five years?
- If there were no dress code, how would you dress for work?
- What would be much better if you could just change its colour?
- What would be the most unusual funeral you can imagine?
- What's the most useless talent you have?
- What terrible film do you secretly love?
- What's the weirdest thing you find attractive in a person?
- What isn't real, but you wish it were?
Mindful conversation topics
Reflective questions for a close friend, a partner or a quiet walk. Give people time to think, and be ready to answer them yourself. Our pick: What do you always enjoy doing, even when you are tired?, a gentle way into what really matters to someone.
Right now6 topics
- What are you enjoying most about life at the moment?
- What do you think about the most?
- Who do you talk to on the phone most often?
- What do you always enjoy doing, even when you are tired?
- What role does gratitude play in your life?
- How confident are you in your decision-making?
Choices and values7 topics
- How do you think you can become the best version of yourself?
- If a relationship or job made you unhappy, would you stay or leave?
- What's a hard decision you're glad you made?
- What is your highest core value?
- What do you think about money?
- What role has formal education played in your life, and how do you feel about it?
- Do you believe your future is decided for you, or do you decide it yourself?
The long view7 topics
- What have you done that makes you most proud of yourself?
- What legacy do you want to leave behind?
- If you could have only one wish, what would it be?
- How comfortable are you talking about death?
- How do you feel about your parents?
- How do you feel about getting older?
- What do you think gives your life meaning?
Conversation topics for work
Questions that help colleagues get to know each other without crossing into anything too personal. They work well for one-to-ones, team check-ins and a new starter's first week. Our pick: Who at work has taught you the most?, which gets people talking about each other in a good way. For more, see our icebreaker questions.
Everyday check-ins7 topics
- How has your workload been recently?
- What was the highlight of your day?
- What's one thing you're excited about this week?
- What did you get done today?
- How's your morning going so far?
- What is a good work hack that everyone should try?
- What's the last new skill you learned?
The job itself6 topics
- Would you mind telling me about your experience working on this project?
- Are there any skills you thought would be crucial to your job that turned out not to matter?
- What do you like most about your job?
- What would you change about your job if you could?
- What do you find the biggest challenge in your role?
- What's the best piece of feedback you've ever been given?
Careers and ambitions7 topics
- Which project are you proudest of so far?
- What's one lifelong dream you haven't fulfilled yet?
- How did you end up in this career?
- Where could your career go from here in this organisation?
- What opportunities does this job give you?
- What do you think the industry will look like in a few years?
- Who at work has taught you the most?
Conversation topics for networking events
At a conference, the event itself is the one thing you know you have in common, so start there and widen out. Our pick: What brought you here today?, simple, open and impossible to answer with a yes or no.
About the event11 topics
- If you had to sum up this event in three words, which would you choose?
- What other events like this have you been to?
- What have been your highlights so far?
- What do you enjoy most about events like this?
- How did you hear about this event?
- What would bring you back next year?
- How does the event compare with what you expected?
- What's the most surprising thing about this event so far?
- What brought you here today?
- What part of the event are you most looking forward to?
- What's one thing you're hoping to learn here?
Speakers and sessions4 topics
- What do you already know about this speaker's work?
- Which of the speakers would you most like to meet?
- What did you think of that talk?
- If you were giving a talk here, what would you speak about?
The bigger picture5 topics
- Which conference would you hate to miss?
- What's the best event on your calendar this year?
- What has changed since you started coming to this event?
- How did you get into the industry?
- Are you here to meet anyone in particular?
Conversation starters over text
Over text, short and specific beats long and general, and a question gives the other person an easy way to reply. Our pick: Describe yourself in three emojis, quick to answer and fun to decode.
Light openers9 topics
- How is your day going?
- Working on anything exciting lately?
- Are you more of a cat or a dog person?
- Describe yourself in three emojis.
- What's your favourite food?
- What's the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
- What's the most interesting thing you've read recently?
- What was the best holiday you ever went on?
- It's such a nice day. Fancy going for a walk?
Getting closer11 topics
- Where would you like to go on a first date?
- Who is the most interesting person you have ever met?
- What's a small habit that has made a big difference to you?
- Is there a quote that is special to you?
- What's the worst chat-up line you've ever heard?
- What's something that scares you but you'd like to do anyway?
- What's a small thing that always makes your day better?
- What's the best compliment anyone has ever given you?
- What do you want most in a relationship?
- How do you define happiness for yourself?
- What was your first impression of me?
Run these topics live with a group
These prompts work one-to-one, but they really come alive with a group. With a tool like AhaSlides, everyone answers from their phone and the responses appear on the shared screen, so nobody has to shout over the room and quieter members can join in without being put on the spot.
Warm up with a live word cloud. Ask "describe yourself in three words" or "which Slack channel are you most active on?" and watch the answers build live, with the most common growing largest.
Take a quick vote with an online poll, then let people explain their choice. A round of "this or that" questions is a reliable spark. Collect the bigger questions on an open-ended slide so the deeper topics get thoughtful, written answers rather than a scramble to speak first.
Frequently asked questions
What are good conversation topics?
Good topics are open-ended and easy to answer from personal experience: films and music, travel, food, work, hobbies and plans. Avoid questions that only need a yes or no, and follow up on whatever the other person seems most interested in.
How do you keep a conversation going?
Ask a follow-up question about something they just said, then share a little of your own experience. Listening for details you can pick up on is more useful than having the next question ready.
What topics should you avoid with people you have just met?
Steer clear of money, religion, politics and anyone's appearance until you know the person better. If a topic lands badly, move on with a lighter question.
How do you start a conversation with a group?
Pick one question everyone can answer, such as a this-or-that choice or a one-word word cloud, and let people answer at the same time. Once the answers are on the screen, the discussion starts itself.
