Desperately Seeking Ice Breakers

"I landed a new remote job selling software to H.R. professionals. I’ve been assigned a “buddy” to meet with weekly, on Zoom. I’m a curmudgeonly 51-year-old woman and fan of your books. He’s a young guy and all I have been able to discern about him is he went to college on a football scholarship. While I think this is a really nice idea … any suggestions as to what I could possibly have to talk to him about?

— Anonymous

Your young colleague isn’t an alien from another planet. Talk to him. Ask him questions! What position did he play in college? Does he miss playing? Did he learn anything on the field that has been useful to him in sales? How does he like his job? What’s his dream job? How does he spend his free time? Is he a reader? What’s the last great book he read? Marvel or DC? Who is he rooting for in the Super Bowl? Has he ever been to one? Where are some places on his travel bucket list? Ultimately, what kinds of things are you curious about in other people? Go from there."